Pokemon Gijinka: Living by the Blade
by KomoriRin
Summary: SYOC Pokemon Gijinka AU world based off of ancient Japan! A Glaceon ronin who can't show emotions, a Flygon samurai who knows little about the world, and more (as I start adding in OCs!) Please read and review! Rated T for violence and minor language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Welcome to my story! Please enjoy, review, and maybe submit an OC!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, sadly.**

* * *

><p>Step.<p>

Step. Step. Put one foot in front of the other- just like it had always been.

Step. Step. His sandaled feet looked well-worn, if you could see them under his voluminous hakama. The hakama were pale blue with darker tips, and a miniscule snowflake pattern you would have to squint to see. His entire garb symbolized him as a samurai to passerby, but a closer inspection would reveal dirt staining the expensive cloth, rips on the blue diamonds on the sleeves, grass stains down below the knee. And a few darker stains.

A ronin.

He didn't look out of place on the open road. In fact, he looked quite content. His normally emotionless face had opened into a small smile, the frozen features softened by the sheer beauty that surrounded him.

The sky was a brilliant cerulean blue, with a few tiny clouds, wispy like strokes of a brush on a pure sapphire canvas. And the sky seemed especially vast today. The road the ronin tread upon was surrounded by rice paddies, flat and wet, making the sky look even bigger- not marred by a single tree or house.

Peasants worked in the fields. Others walked down the road. Even though it was a dirt one, and in the country, it was still densely populated by travelers as it connected two important villages. Peasants in their dirty tunics walked by, many carrying all sorts of things. Children scrambled under leg and basket. A few other ronin walked the path- but none of them had in their clothes the splendor that the blue ronin had. He had come from a high-up position in the army of an affluent lord, most likely.

It was amazing to marvel at the sheer amount of people on the road. As he walked, the ronin saw a troupe of women in elaborate kimonos, a monk, a group of traveling performers who sang and did acrobatic tricks to the delight of the villagers, a minor magistrate or something who rode in a carriage, surrounded by samurai who scowled at the blue ronin in disgust- he had no master to serve.

He ignored them, choosing instead to look at the sky. Blue. The color changed hue as the day went on. It made for a brilliant sunset. Well, it would have if no anyone was around to see it. Awakening from his daydream, the ronin wearing winter looked around with eyes of brilliant blue-grey, confused for a bit. Then it hit him.

Sunset. Now it's nighttime. Duh. Most people would be at home now. The landscape had changed as well. Now he was in a forest, newly grown, as the trees were unable to obscure the sinking sun veiled in rainbows.

The road led on, but the light grew dim. "It's time to stop," thought the ronin. He soon reached an old shrine- small and wooden, but with a few rooms for travelers to spend the night- it would do.

He entered, and the first thing he saw was a sculpture of the high god, Arceus. The god smiled at him through wooden lips, sending both a message of quiet love and regal superiority. His clothes, of course, were very elaborate- a long kimono, mainly white, but with seventeen other colors all interwoven into it.

The traveler shook his head, driving away the daydreams. It wasn't a rainbow, like the stories said. It was wood. Any paint on the statue had faded long ago. But it reminded the ronin of his childhood, and the stories he had heard from his mother and father.

After thanking the god for his hospitality, the man chose a room and went in. Time had not been kind to the old forest temple, but the villagers that lived nearby kept it in relatively good condition. As the masterless samurai set about arranging his single sleeping blanket and the food he had gotten out of the small pack on his back, he reminisced about his life before the war. Back when he was with his family, in the house on the hill.

* * *

><p>There he stood. Tall for his age, but only up to his mother's stomach. He wore a child's version of the clothing he had on today; shades of blue, decorated with snowflakes and diamond patterns, probably woven by a skilled Bug-type seamstress like an Ariados.<p>

Back then, his eyes shown a bit bluer, it seemed. Before they'd been hardened by all the fighting over the years. Back then, they were like the surface of a pond before any ripples have been made; now, the pond had frozen. As always, he was pale, and had hair that was blue and spiked up.

It was a younger version of him now- the only differences were that now he had a sword. And a single earring.

The younger version stood in the yard outside his house, next to the small pond where the koi swam. His mother was sitting on the porch of the house as the sliding doors stood open behind her, knitting. She looked up.

The boy said, "Tell me a story." He looked slightly angry, as if something had ticked him off earlier and now he needed a story to calm him down.

His mother's eyes softened. They were blue, like his. In fact, everything about her looked just like him- from her brilliant kimono, to her perfect pearl-white skin, to the color of her hair, which she wore long- all the way down her back. "Which one?"

"The one about us. About how we came here." He climbed up and sat next to her, staring as he waited for her to begin.

She smiled. "Well…"

* * *

><p>Long ago, before our world was here of course, was Arceus's world. We don't know if it was his first- all we know is that it was the one he made before ours.<p>

He looked down on it, and was happy. Sure, it had its flaws, but that's what happens with humans and Pokemon.

The two species coexisted perfectly. They were friends, and helped each other out all the time. It was a good world, in need of no help.

Arceus decided it was time to create a new world. And so he did.

Arceus's main theme for our world was one of beauty. Green forests and plains, beautiful ponds, lakes, and streams. He made our beaches, and our cherry blossom trees, and of course, you're favorite, the snow.

He put humans into it. And Pokemon, too. But these humans were different from the ones before. They were primitive. I've heard that in the other world, humans moved around in carriages that moved by themselves- without even horses! Not here.

Those humans were wise. And with wisdom came understanding, of Pokemon. The humans of our world did not have that understanding. Here, the wild Pokemon were treated as animals, gods, demons, and all sorts of things. They did not understand the powers we possess.

Arceus was saddened by this. He hid the Pokemon away, and they passed into the myths and legends of the humans- no longer existing, besides in their imaginations. He left this world alone, for five hundred years, they say.

After waiting his chosen number of years, Arceus returned to the world. He appeared in the form of a human, so they would understand him, but also was symbolic of a Pokemon. He saw what the world had become, and he was happy.

Even if they could not understand Pokemon, they could understand his vision. They had developed into a civilization that revolved around beauty- intertwining their buildings and man-made environments with Arceus's nature in they way they still do today.

Overjoyed, Arceus invited his pantheon of minor gods to come visit- in the form of humans. They agreed with him- this was a nice world, a fine world even. And they wanted to bring Pokemon back into it.

Arceus was not so sure. Instead, he began to bring Pokemon here a different way- in the form of humans. Yes, like you and me. He chose eight lords to represent his power over humanity. And he brought the rest of us. Even more appeared over the years.

But we're not allowed to tell normal people that we're Pokemon. It's a secret between Pokemon. Pokemon that demonstrate their powers are simply thought to be powerful heroes touched by the gods, spirits, or mythic beasts. Yes, I know the kids at school make fun of you because you look different. But you're a Pokemon, that's why. Yes, born here, not brought by Arceus.

I know you can't use your powers yet, but I'm sure one day you will find your Emblem. You want me to tell you about Emblems again? Very well.

Each Pokemon in this world has an Emblem- an item that allows us to channel our unique powers through our human bodies. I know you haven't found yours yet, but one day you will. Like I found my earrings. What, you want to hear that story too? Come on now, look at the sky. See? It's almost time for your bedtime, dear Glaceon. Sleep tight.

* * *

><p>Glaceon, now eighteen, did just that, in his little room in the roadside temple. As he drifted off to surprisingly good dreams (for once), he smiled. <em>Thanks, mom. Thanks, Arceus.<em>

* * *

><p>Five hours later, an eye snapped open. Reflex. He rubbed his head as he yawned and sat up. "Hunh…?"<p>

Glaceon listened, wondering what made him wake up, and heard the clip-clop, clip-clop of a horses hooves, running at full speed. _What was a horse doing that for, at midnight…?_

Glaceon slowly trudged forward, blinking. He looked at the statue of Arceus, wondering if he knew anything about the mysterious horse.

_I really shouldn't bother, it's none of my business. _He shook his head, trying to wake up bit more_. Well, it sort of is… after all, they __**did**__ wake me up… and that's rude._

Just as he slid open the front door, the horse shot by at full speed. There was someone riding on it- a girl, with two viridian braids flying behind her.

In one split second, she noticed the door with Glaceon in it, climbed onto the side of her horse, and launched herself into it, like a swimmer's dive, straight forward, knocking him down.

As he fell back with an "Oof!," he couldn't help but marvel at her skill- that leap was near impossible. No, it _was_ impossible. He had seen a glimmer of transparent diamond-shaped wings as she launched herself, though. _Pokemon_.

The girl, who was also sprawled on the floor with him, looked up, red-faced, instinctively squeaking, "Sorry!" She had green hair in two braids, and reddish-brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of samurai armor in different shades of green with an occasional red embellishment. A naginata (spear-like weapon) was strapped to her back.

For a second they sized each other up, an employed samurai and an unemployed samurai. She was even younger than him- sixteen maybe. Probably a newbie samurai.

Noticing his road-worn look, in one swift motion she had her naginata pointed at his throat, her eyes steeling. "If you're a bandit, don't try anything," she said coolly. "I am a high-ranking samurai in the employ of one of our eight lords, and I can-"

Her statement was cut short by the clip-clop of horses' hooves outside, again. Except instead of one it must have been five.

As Glaceon was about to say reply, she leapt up and jumped into the back room. Again with the hint of wings- a faint outline seemed to sparkle and shimmer behind her as she jumped.

"If you value your honor-" she began, peeking out from behind the sliding door. Hoarse voices, yelling, were heard over the approaching horses. She slammed the door quickly with a start, and from behind it, Glaceon heard, "I'm not here! I can pay you!"

The ronin in blue stood up, rubbing his forehead with two fingers. _Well, that went well. I'm out of practice for ambushes- all I could do was sit there, half-asleep. _At least he would be prepared if the other horsemen tried to come in. Which they might- the noise had stopped, right outside the temple.

One voice said uncertainly, "I could've sworn I saw a shadow leap off the horse here."

An argument arose between the horseman, with phrases such as "that's impossible!", "at this speed…?", and "you must be seeing things."

Finally a stronger voice rose above the clamor, quieting the tumult. "Whatever you say, that horse is still sprinting ahead of us and getting farther as we argue. Kenichi, are you positive you saw someone jump off?"

A younger, meeker voice, said, "Y-yes, sir."

"Alright!" the man in charge roared. "Take Ryuusuke and investigate the area. The rest of us will ride down that horse." Without further words, the three riders were gone in a flurry of hoofbeats.

A few minutes later, the two men left behind opened the door slowly. Glaceon had taken out some of the food from his pack and was preparing a midnight snack- how could he sleep with all that racket around here?

"Umm, excuse us," said one; a younger thin man. The voice of the one who had noticed the samurai girl from earlier's jump. His partner was a man of much larger stature than him, and a bit older. He had a gruff face and didn't look all that intelligent. Both wore matching samurai armor- cheaply made, in a dull gray.

The bigger man pushed the smaller one aside (who let out a small "Eep!" but made no further retaliation) and stood in the center of the small temple front room, hands on hips.

He looked around angrily. "I can't believe you made us stop for something stupid you thought you saw, idiot," said the big soldier. Kenichi cringed.

Ryuusuke's gaze moved around the room lazily until it landed on Glaceon, who simply stared back without showing any emotion. The big warrior's lip curled. "Well, well, it looks like we've found ourselves a filthy little ronin."

He paced back and forth in front of Glaceon, whose eyes followed him. "Don't…" said Kenichi weakly from behind. His fellow samurai whirled around. "Shut it, shrimp! You're the one who got us stuck here anyway, on this stupid detour. Might as well have some fun."

Kenichi whimpered but didn't say anything more, as Ryuunosuke crouched down in front of Glaceon, a dangerous smile decorating his features. "Hey, little ronin, who doesn't have a lord to serve. Have you been paying your taxes to us? Our lord rules here, you know, and demands taxes from all the little peasants like you." Without waiting for a response, he made a disapproving noise. "Ah, you bad little ronin. Well than why don't you pay them to me, a far superior samurai who can actually keep a job!" He looked down, noticing Glaceon's meager snack. "And your food, too. I'm hungry."

Glaceon shifted where he sat on the floor, growing agitated. The comment about "keeping a job" had gotten to him, although you would never notice it unless you looked very closely. Even as his fists grew slightly more clenched, he kept the same expressionless face.

Finally Glaceon stood up, eye level with the older samurai. He looked at him for five seconds, then asked, "Where you the ones chasing that girl?"

Kenichi tried to interject, "Yes, under our lord's orders-" but his partner interrupted loudly. "Oh, so she IS here! You're not such an idiot after all, Kenichi!" he glared at Glaceon. "So where is she, you scumbag samurai?"

Glaceon tilted his head towards the door the girl samurai hid behind, but as Ryuunosuke went towards it, the ice Pokemon held out a hand to stop him.

"So you **were** chasing her," he said slowly. "Which means you guys are what made her make all that noise and wake me up. Than you kept me awake with noise of your own!" he cocked his head slightly. "So it's all your fault that I was woken up from the first good dream I've had in ages…"

His unnaturally colored eyes seemed to bore into Ryuunosuke's skull, as he finished with, "…isn't it?"

"Huh!" the thug samurai said. "Is that a threat? I'll cleave you in half for speaking to me like that, you sack of dung!" he whipped out a heavy looking mace, an unusual weapon, and attempted to swing it down upon Glaceon's head.

Glaceon continued unnerving his adversary by keeping his eyes locked into the other man's. Ryuunosuke noticed them flicker as Glaceon casually unlocked his katana with one finger. Instantly the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees. His attacker's eyes widened, and his expression turned from one of smug pleasure into slightly fearful, momentarily stopping his swing.

Finally, Glaceon's expressionless face moved- a slight smile, as he slowly drew out his katana. It was a beautiful piece of metal, overly long for a sword, and covered in frost.

He swung it lazily, not even making contact with his opposition. This made Ryuunosuke's spirits go up for a split second, thinking the mysterious ronin had missed, when he was blasted in the face with an Icy Wind attack. It pushed him and Kenichi back towards the door.

Glaceon touched his sword, and slowly drew his finger down the entire length of it, causing it to expand into a much larger blade made purely of spiky ice. "This is my Ice Fang attack," he told the watching samurai. "It really, really hurts. I suggest you make a run for it. Yeah, run long and far."

The two samurai sprinted out the door, stumbling over themselves and soon thudding feet into the dirt road, disappearing into the early morning blackness, even forgetting their horses. The samurai with the sword of ice walked out the door of the temple after them, calling as he stopped.

"And Kenichi! Stick up for yourself more! It's the guy you're with who's the idiot!" Sighing, Glaceon put his sword away. The ice simply disappeared and it went back to being a simple steel blade in a sheath.

He strode back inside, walked past the statue of Arceus and the Pokemon girl peeking out from the other room, into the room where his blanket lay. Without ceremony, he flopped onto it and was asleep within minutes. _That got my adrenaline going- I haven't had that much excitement in ages._

* * *

><p><strong>Haha, sorry it's so long! Anyway, I should probably go over a few things.<strong>

**1.) this world is not Japan- it's just based off of feudal Japan. So it's allowed to have anachronisms and not be perfectly historically accurate. It's not history, it's fiction- and it's more fun that way.**

**2.) this world has animals in it, like the horses from this chapter, not Pokemon. I don't know how a medieval-era world would work without any form of animal life, so this one gets both regular animals and Pokemon, as gijinkas.**

**3.) I'm accepting OCs! The OC form is below. The only limitations are: no legendaries, except the eight lords. And even then, they can only be minor legendaries that don't have godly powers (I'll need all 8!). The lords can also be very powerful normal Pokemon.**

**also, one OC per person unless they are related (ex: a lord and his personal bodyguard)**

**Until next time! I can't promise fast updates, except for maybe the first arc. After that I'll have to take all the OCs into consideration and do a lot of pre-writing.**

* * *

><p><strong>OC Form<strong>

**Name: (the name they take, when talking to humans)**

**Species: (what Pokemon they are, or human if you want i guess)**

**Gender and (Apparent) Age:**

**Personality:**

**History:**

**Appearance: (what they look like physically. they're gijinkas so anything goes! just remember: their ears, tails, wings, etc. aren't visible normally, only spectrally when they're using their powers)**

**Outfit(s): (submit multiple ones if you want, just don't make it too modern)**

**Emblem: (the item they channel they're powers through, and how they do it (like Glaceon's katana). if they're young and don't have one yet, tell what it would be)**

**Class: (that's probably not the right word to describe this; but basically what they do and how they do it- samurai, ninja, ronin, shrine maiden, lord, princess, etc)**

**Fighting Style/Skill Level: (if they fight, that is. notable weapons and accesories. also how talented they are, or if you want what level they'd be as a Pokemon)**

**Favored Moves: (basically the four moves they'd use as a Pokemon)**

**Attitude towards this world: (how do they feel about living here? do they take advantage of their power or keep it secret? do they like arceus for leaving them here, hate him, or not believe he exists at all? do they want to visit the other Pokemon world? etc)**

**Romance Interests (Optional): (what type of people do they like? i may try to play with shipping haha, though only with the OC creator's permission and suggestions)**

* * *

><p><strong>so that's it! See you next time! Try to PM me the OC form, so the reviews aren't clogged up. Although I encourage you to review too haha!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again and welcome to chapter two!**

* * *

><p>Glaceon awoke from a (pretty much) restful night's and found the air to be exuding a delicious aroma, seeping around the doors and walls of the small wooden temple like a stealthy Ghost-type Pokemon.<p>

After taking a good while to stand up, stretch, and rub his eyes (when your life is nothing but wandering, one of the few benefits is that you can sleep in until whenever you feel like), Glaceon slowly walked out of his little room.

Just like always, the carving of Arceus was on guard. Glaceon thanked the god for his hospitality once again, and the lack of nightmares that night. Maybe Arceus's protection really was on the tiny temple. The door to the second guest space was open, revealing a naginata, as well as a few traveling supplies and pieces of armor littering the ground- the girl from the night before was still around, and, judging from the smell wafting around, was outside cooking.

Lazily, he stepped outside and stopped in the doorway.

Closing his eyes, he felt the fresh spring wind on his face.

Opening his eyes, he surveyed a vast wall of green- trees, of all shapes and sizes. They lined the little dirt path like sentinels, as if waiting for it to fall into disuse so they could reclaim it for their empire of green.

Once again, the sky was blue and vast; although today, puffy clouds dotted it- the writer had spilled his ink. A family of birds darted through it, onto the waiting branches of a nearby tree; the branches themselves stretched out like a spider web of wood, grasping fingers trying to reach the sky. There was room amongst them for many more birds- and indeed there were, of all shapes and sizes, flitting about like so many small dancers. Bugs joined in, all varieties, and other small animals darted through the brush underneath, which was ringed by flowers of pink and gold.

Today, the forest was alive.

Next to the temple was a small clearing, perfect for sitting and watching the sky under swaying branches of the watching trees. This was not the case, however, as the Pokemon girl had set up a campfire and was crouched next to it, checking a metal pot suspended above the blaze.

Glaceon stood silently for a bit, admiring the fire. It was well-made and well-placed, ensuring the safest campfire possible- she had obviously had a bit of survivalist training. He remembered those days. The girl looked up, brushing a few strands of raw emerald out of her face, noticed him, and gave a small smile and wave.

"Hey," she said, standing up and brushing herself off. She had taken off the heavier outer armor, and was outfitted in the lighter under layers that didn't inhibit movement. "Good morning!" She opened the pot, and a fresh gust of the delicious smell dissipated into the air. She sniffed the air approvingly. "Looks like it's done. At least, I think it is." She rummaged around in a few satchels next to her, emerging with a ladle and two bowls. "Do you want some?"

"Okay," was the simple answer she received.

Dipping the ladle into the pot, she splashed a bundle of noodles in slightly brown broth into the waiting bowl, and then did it once more for the other one. She added some sliced-up preserved meat and vegetables hastily, and handed a bowl to Glaceon along with a set of chopsticks. "This is thanks for saving me last night."

Glaceon looked at her, slightly confused. _She could've taken on those lowly village samurai easily; she's a Pokemon. What's holding her back? Does she not have an Emblem? No- I saw the wings._

He looked down at his bowl. In it was noodles, meat, vegetables… all swimming around like small creatures locked in a tide pool of broth. He looked up again. "Isn't this my meat? I swear I just bought this in the last town- it was supposed to last me for a few more days, at least."

She nodded. "Yup. I made your rice, too." She pulled out a metal canister from the embers of the fire, using a small matching rod that fit into it, and proceeded to open it, revealing cooked rice. She dumped half of it into her bowl and half into his while he sat looking perplexed.

The girl proceeded to slurp up the concoction from her bowl, hardly even using the chopsticks. Glaceon put a hand up. "Alright, I've got a few questions… but first tell me your name."

She stopped slurping. "Shinko." She continued slurping.

Glaceon rubbed his temple. "Yes, and mine's Yukine. But I meant your _name_." He enunciated it as much as he could, and pointed at his sword, which had a few spots of frost on it, like always.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, um, but we're not supposed to talk about that. That's what my lord always says."

"We can talk about it, if it's Pokemon to Pokemon," Glaceon, or Yukine, replied. "I'm Glaceon, an Ice-type. Pleased to meet you." He leaned down, attempting her strange souplike concoction.

"I'm called Flygon," said Flygon, shyly, as if she was telling her deepest secret. "I'm Dragon-type. Also Ground."

Glacceon nodded, sucking up an overcooked noodle. "I've never met a Dragon-type before," he stated.

Silence ensued, aside from slurping on both sides- as curious as he was about the Flygon's night chase, it was none of his business. So he had nothing else to talk about, save the fact that she had used up all of his food. He didn't find the silence awkward at all. She, however, did.

Finally, the Dragon-type tried for conversation, "Umm… Is it good?"

"It's… different," was Yukine's reply. "I've never had noodles like this before… or with rice in broth."

"Isn't it cool?" asked Shinko excitedly. "They're all the rage over where I'm from- newly invented! It's basically a block of hardened noodles that soften in boiled water. Then you add stuff." She opened her pack, revealing rows upon rows of blocked noodles, next to small bags of spices. "I had the cook back home package a bunch for me, because I can't cook!"

_That explains a lot._

She held the bowl to her mouth, draining out the last of the rice and broth in one last gulp. "It's pretty good, I think. The rice and meat made it taste even better!"

"Yeah," said Glaceon. "My rice and meat." He was almost done his bowl, too. "Although I would separate the noodles and rice next time, just saying."

"Hmm," said Shinko, putting a finger to her chin. "I guess so. This isn't very soup-like, is it? More like wet mushy stuff. It's supposed to be soup, though, I think."

Yukine grunted, standing up. "Well, thanks for the meal. I guess I'll get going then."

"Wait!" cried the Flygon, reaching out a hand. "Don't be so abrupt! We only just met!"

"Yeah," said Yukine. "And now I'm leaving." He turned to walk away, then swiveled on his foot, back to her. "After you pay me back, of course."

She blinked. "For what?"

"Using all my food."

"Oh. Oops."

He waited. She shifted on her spot on the ground. "Um," she started, changing the subject. "I have a… proposition for you."

Now it was his turn to blink. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you see," said the girl in green. "I'm being chased. I'm a samurai under Lord Noburou to the east, not of the Yami Clan, who rule these lands." She looked at Yukine, who hadn't moved, but remained expressionless. She continued. "My lord has far less land then the Yami Clan. He is a minor lord, while Lady Yami is a major one."

Yukine nodded. "One of the land's two most powerful leaders, the other being Lady Sonohara of the White Rose."

"Yes," continued Shinko. "They're often called the Black and White Queens, due to their Clan colors, and the fact that both of their kingdoms are easily bigger than anyone else's." She paused to clear her throat. "But, back to what I was saying. My lord has always been fearful that the Yami want his land to make their kingdom even bigger, but they've never made a move. Until now."

One of Yukine's eyebrows was now raised. He was interested. Shinko continued her tale. "Our villages are being heavily ransacked by a gang of organized bandits. Every night, somewhere else is hit. Survivors say the leader wields mystic powers. And every time our army catches the bandits, they flee over the border into Yami territory, where we can't follow. But here's the thing." She leaned forward conspiratorially, red-grey eyes narrowed. "No one has heard of any bandit attacks happening in the Yami's land."

"How do you know?"

"We've talked to all the merchants and other travelers who cross the border from Yami lands. No one has heard or seen anything. The funny thing is, an organized bandit gang like this one would benefit better in Yami territory. The Yamis are much richer than us, and their kingdom is incredibly expansive- meaning there are more tiny farming villages to attack that are out of the way. Also, our kingdom is much more compact than theirs' due to its small size- we can launch a counter-offensive relatively quickly. The Yamis are all spread out over a vast distance- it would be much easier to quickly ransack a village and disappear there than in our kingdom."

"So your theory is that the Yami are pretending to be bandits and attack your lands," the Glaceon stated. "Or have hired mercenaries or bandits to do it for them."

"Yep," responded Shinko. "That way they won't draw any attention to themselves from other powerful lords. If it looked like a tiny kingdom was having bandit problems, nobody would help. But if the Yamis are picking on a kingdom ten times smaller than theirs in order to invade, the Sonoharas or another powerful lord might come to our assistance. They don't want the Yamis stronger than they already are, plus it would make them look better if they go out of their way to help weak little kingdoms like ours."

"That's a pretty logical theory," mused the ronin. "And I assume that's why you're here in Yami lands?"

Shinko nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I came under cover of night! But the guy at the inn I stopped at must've seen my lord's symbol on me and ratted me out to the guards, because after like ten minutes of sleep they came and chased me right out the village!" She shook her head. "Outrageous. These Yamis have no sense of hospitality."

"I guess they follow their leader," said Yukine. "The Veiled Lady's never been a nice sort, at least in the stories."

"Oh, pssh," said Shinko, flapping her hand around as if the Veiled Lady was nothing more than a level one Caterpie. "Don't believe all those stories you here about her. It's all part of her routine- scare her subjects into submission, and scare her enemies. What a way to be a leader; hmph."

* * *

><p>The Veiled Lady is the alias of Lady Yami. It's used more than her real name, Sayomi. To everyone, near and far, she's just referred to simply as "the Veiled Lady." She always wears a great flowing grey cloak, and a massive veil over her face, so no skin is ever showing. They say she takes it off in her private quarters at night, but nobody's ever seen her true face. She hardly talks, either, or so they say- choosing instead to speak through her ever-present steward.<p>

There are all sorts of rumors about why the Lady is Veiled. The most common is that she's incredibly beautiful, the most beautiful woman alive perhaps, but will not reveal her beauty until she meets a man that loves her first for her inner beauty or some such. But there's plenty of other tales that are much darker.

Some say she's a hideous old witch, who hides her face because she's so awful-looking. Others say she's a corpse, an unliving queen that will stay to rule her people throughout eternity. Still others believe she's not human in the first place; instead, some kind of monster or demon.

Whatever she is, her ploy works. She cloaks herself in mystery and lets the legends spread, hardly needing any provocation. Everyone's afraid of the unknown, and when a powerful Lady makes herself the unknown, everyone fears her.

It doesn't help that she built her castle, the Black Castle, on a massive cliff overlooking the sea- not even in her kingdom's capitol city.

The Yami Clan is the most powerful in the country, aside from the Sonohara Clan- ruled by Sorai and Tai, the twin Sonahara leaders- who are about equal in power. They are peaceable monarchs whose domain includes much farmland, unlike the Yami's dense forests and mountains. The Sonoharas are also renowned for their kindness- helping out the many minor kingdoms, although their army always remained the largest in the land.

There are six other major kingdoms (though all still significantly smaller than the Yami's and Sonohara's), and a plethora of minor ones like Lord Noborou's. Yukine knew little about Shinko's lord- his reputation was like an insect's shadow when compared to the Yami's or Sonohara's giant ones. That's why he must have sent Shinko into the Yami's territory, to get real proof, because a tiny noble like him wouldn't have been able to have any say in anything unless he had solid evidence to back up his accusation. But, as was revealed by Shinko's midnight chase, the Yamis had apparently beefed up the border guard, on the lookout for anyone bearing Noborou's crest.

* * *

><p>"This is all very interesting, but what does it have to do with a ronin like me?" asked Yukine. "Or the food you owe me?"<p>

"Well, how do you make money?" Shinko countered his question with one of her own. "I assume you act as a samurai-for-hire or something along those lines, right?"

Yukine nodded. "I occasionally take on bodyguard duties, or bounties, yes."

"Well, here's my proposition for you," she said. "I hire you as a bodyguard while I travel through Yami territory, and you get paid for it! With someone as strong as you by my side, I could accomplish my mission quite quickly and easily. We'll determine the price back in my own kingdom's court."

"Hmm," Yukine held his chin. "I could definitely use some money- I'm almost out. But I have three conditions."

"Well, let me hear them!"

Yukine held up a finger. "One: don't talk as much. Two: all the food we eat while I'm in your company is bought by you." Now two fingers were up. He lifted a third one. "And, three: I get paid back for the food you owe me, separately."

"Uuu…" Shinko thought for a few seconds. "I guess that's reasonable…"

"If you don't accept, I'll just be on my way," said Yukine. He turned to leave, then looked back. "After you pay me of course."

"Gah! Fine! I'll do it!" the younger samurai said. "Just don't leave." Yukine raised an eyebrow but only said, "We should get going soon, too. We're wasting daylight, and those samurai chasing you will probably come back."

* * *

><p>After gathering up the breakfast things and disposing of the fire, the two samurai went back into the small temple to collect their other belongings. Yukine realized he'd left his food pack out next to Arceus when he was having a late-night snack the other night, which is how Shinko had found it. He stuffed his few meager possessions into his satchel and met up with Shinko at the doorway to the road, now in full samurai armor again.<p>

"You're going to have to take that off- you look really conspicuous running around with full armor in with your lord's symbols emblazoned over everything," advised Yukine.

"Oh!" his new traveling companion looked down in sudden realization. "You're right!"

She pulled off the big pieces holding her lord's emblem; tongue out in concentration as she unclipped a strap. She crammed the armor parts into her backpack, forcefully stuffing them in on top of her other things. Now she just looked like a minor noble or merchant-class girl, holding a naginata. "Some of my things were on my horse," she said sadly. "But, thankfully, most of them were on my back."

After saying their last goodbyes to Arceus, the duo walked around to the temple to the other side (where they hadn't had breakfast), and were glad to see the two horses of the samurai from last night remained. Kenichi and Ryuunosuke had been so afraid that they'd ran straight down the road, not staying anywhere close to the icy swordsman. It took too long to get a horse ready for travel- and now, here they were, one for Yukine and one for Shinko.

Silently, Yukine prepared the horse for riding. He stripped it of everything marking it as a Yami horse, and Shinko did the same to her's. It was a good military horse- it had remained here after its master had left, because that was the last command it had received. The horse looked happy that it had stopped running after Shinko's horse the night before and was able to get some sleep.

Shinko talked to her horse, and stroked its ears. As she swung onto the saddle, she pouted, saying, "I hope my horse is okay… he's a good horse."

"I'm sure he is," said Yukine, swinging up onto his horse as well. "The samurai chasing you had no need for a riderless horse. He's either being put to good use or on his way home right now."

"Oh, I hope he is," said Shinko wistfully. "He's a great horse, my Razor. The very best. Let me tell you about the time-"

Yukine held up a hand, eyes closed. "Please, keep the conversation to a minimum."

So, wordlessly, they rode on until a village came into view, on two horses that didn't belong to them- the ronin with a blade of ice and the samurai girl who couldn't cook.

* * *

><p><strong>Gah nothing happened this chapter. Well, I got a little world-building in, and Shinko and Yukine's names- plus why they're teaming up in the first place. Don't worry- I promise next chapter, once they arrive at the village, they'll meet a few OCs. There's also a fight scene. So it won't suck like this chapter.<strong>

**As for OCs, I've gotten a lot, and have decided not to accept any more except for minor characters. What I mean is: if you have a good idea of how a certain Pokemon could work in a cool way as a samurai, PM me! As shown in this chapter, there are many lords, and each lord needs samurai. So I need minor lords, samurai, and maybe a bandit or two! If you still want to try submitting a (not-minor) character, I'll probably turn you down (sorry!) but you can still try I guess.**

**In a random side note: it's fun to write Pokemon Gijinka SYOCs! I hope someone starts a new one- after the writing I've been doing, I want to submit an OC too!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes, this story still exists. Sorry for the uber-long wait. Lots of stuff just got in the way, like a spontaneous anime con and a class that takes up all of my Saturdays. Said class lasts for the rest of the month so don't expect a new update for a couple more weeks... sorry about that... Anyway, onto the long-awaited third chapter! :3**

* * *

><p>First came the farmers' houses. Small huts away from the main town area, but close to their fields. The farmers had already begun their backbreaking work far earlier in the day, and kept at it. They could be seen interspersed between the fields- which formed a patchwork quilt of greens, blues, and yellows against a clear blue sky.<p>

This showed that the two riders were nearing a village. The houses became more clustered, and the people more plentiful, until the duo reached the main town area proper.

"Ah, good, we're here!" Shinko said, stretching her arms upwards towards the mid-morning sun. Riding on a horse for a while always made her want to stretch. The green-haired girl turned to her traveling partner. "Where is here, exactly?"

"Some random Yami village," Yukine answered, monotone. "It probably has a name. I just don't know it."

Shinko nodded. "Makes sense." She looked around. "So what's the plan?"

"I don't know," was the answer she received. "It was you who hired me, not the other way around."

"Mmm," she murmured in agreement, finger on her chin, thinking. "I guess we should just ask around for news of bandits in the area." Her eyes narrowed like she knew a secret and wasn't telling. "Inconspicuously." She turned to Yukine, once again wide-eyed and smiling. "Right!?"

He simply nodded, and directed his horse down a shabbier-looking road than the one they were already on. "Hey, where are you going?" she called out behind him.

"Inconspicuous, remember?" Yukine glanced back at her. She pouted as the nicer buildings turned into shacks the farther away they went. The upper-class samurai and merchants were quickly replaced by people in rough sackcloth clothing, who walked around the horses, carrying boxes of food and other products to bring to the market. Shinko let out a shrill gasp when a small animal darted straight under her horse, followed by a grinning child missing his two front teeth.

Finally they arrived at a ratty-looking inn. The wood was rotting in some places and the building itself looked like it had been squashed by the two buildings on either side. The overhanging roofs formed a small, dank passageway to the stables in back. Yukine, impassive as always, dismounted his steed and led it (somewhat unwillingly) into the stables. "This'll do. Discreet, right?"

Shinko did the same, though showed much more disgust than her companion as she glared at every little cobweb or wood stain. "This is pretty gross," she whined. "I saw a much much nicer inn back on one of the main streets. It wasn't too conspicuous; it would have been just fine! This is too much- I've never seen such squalor."

Yukine rolled his eyes a tiny bit and sighed a small sigh. "I chose this inn for two reasons. One: it is inconspicuous, yes, as I said before. But reason number two is more important: people to an inn that is THIS inconspicuous all have something to hide."

"Oh," said Shinko, thinking. "So as long as we don't pry at anyone else, they'll leave us alone, and we won't have to worry about people finding out I'm a samurai from Noborou's kingdom?"

"Exactly. Plus you could probably find much more information here about things that go on the bandit underworld than in some ritzy merchant inn."

"Yeah, but still…" She made a face as she just avoided stepping in a foul-smelling puddle of unidentifiable substance before tying her horse into a stall. The stall's hay didn't look edible, even to a horse, and no one had bothered to clean the stall of its former residents' excrement. The horse was not amused. Both of the former Yami army horses looked very out of place in these stables, where their only companion was a scrawny, older, one-eyed horse who still could hold a very intimidating glare. "Why do we have to be in such a repulsive place?"

Yukine was done tying in his horse, with a half-rotten rope. "This is what the world looks like, out here." He turned to her, eyes narrowed questioningly. "You've never left your lord's city, have you?"

"Yes!" She said quickly, but the slight blush and how her eyes were suddenly drawn to her shuffling feet proved otherwise. "Of course. To, uh, outlying farms."

The ronin grunted in response, and motioned for her to follow him through a side door into the actual inn. He wasn't going to pry- it wasn't his business.

Shinko silently thanked him for that, and followed.

"Stop." He wasn't looking at her- he just held out a hand behind himself in the universal sign.

"What?" she asked, flustered.

"Act tough. We're going into a sleazy inn. There's almost certainly going to be some bad people in there- don't let them see you as a cute, vulnerable girl; show them a cold, strong samurai so they'll leave you alone. The naginata helps."

"Oh!' she said. "O-okay…" she sucked in a breath and let it out, composing herself. Yukine's hand changed from a "stop" sign into a "come on, let's go" gesture.

Then she realized he had referred to her as "cute." Her face turned a shade of pink, but she soon regained her "tough samurai" disposition. Yukine realized it too, and the pale, emotionless face also turned a slight scarlet hue for a few seconds, though hidden from her.

The door creaked open. Suddenly all eyes were on them- the squinting owner of the inn who was sitting behind the bar, the scared-looking girl who was in charge of cleaning and serving, big hulking thugs, women in too-revealing kimonos, ronin of all sorts- the meaner ones and the ones that still retained their honor, cowled figures who sat in the shadows. Yukine kept his hand on the handle of his sword almost casually. Shinko gulped but retained her tough disposition.

For what seemed like eternity (but was only two seconds), the countless eyes returned to what they were each originally looking at. Yukine led the way to the bar counter. Shinko followed, making an effort to glare at everyone and everything. It wasn't hard. They were all pretty disgusting. She received a few glares in return.

They reached the counter. The squinty-eyed barkeep looked them both over, then did a little shrug-nod. "Yeah, what can I do for yeh?"

"We're planning on spending the night," Yukine said. "We've already put our horses out back."

"Eh, okay," said the owner, rubbing a sake cup with a rag. "So I'll have to have one room ready tonight, yeah? That'll be twelve o' your little coins there."

For the second time that day, the emotionless ronin turned from white-and-blue ice to an embarrassed red. "Er, no, uh, two. Two rooms. Please. Um, next to each other, if possible." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Shinko giggled, as did any nearby patrons who overheard the conversation. The owner guffawed loudly, jiggling his beer belly and beard. Squinting even more than before from laughter, he said, "Yeah, yeah, I gotcha. Sure thing. That's double the price of one, of though." Yukine gave Shinko a look, and she paid for it, as per their agreement. It was probably cheaper than that other inn, anyway.

"You guys want any food or somethin', or is this transaction over?" asked the bearded man behind the counter impatiently.

"No, I think we're done," said Shinko. They signed their names on a paper the innkeeper provided, and received their room keys. Shinko pulled on Yukine's arm, who flinched reflexively. "Alright, come on, let's go get ourselves some information!"

* * *

><p>All day they asked people. Discreetly, of course, so as not to attract the attention of any Yami soldiers in on the scheme. They started at the ratty inn, where they found a few former bandits, as well as a few bounty hunters who had hunted down bandits before, but no one had heard anything about a large band of them in the area.<p>

They asked some farmers outside the village- they would be the most likely targets of bandit attacks, if there were any. The farmers assured them that there had been no bandit activity in the region for years. Apparently the Yami army was good at their job- the villagers were happy to tell Shinko and Yukine all about the peace and prosperity they'd been experiencing.

They tried the market district, which was relatively large. The small village had apparently become a hub for merchants due to the fertility of its' soil, and had grown quickly in a short amount of time. That explained how the town had elements of both a large town and a rural farming village integrated in it, but did not offer anything as to what the duo were looking for.

They asked travelers, street vendors, the priest a the temple, a troupe of traveling performers- no luck. Well, Shinko did most of the asking. Yukine just kind of stood around.

Soon it was getting dark. Lanterns, candles, and torches began to appear around town. "I guess we should get some late dinner and turn in for the night," said Shinko, sounding tired.

"Mmm," murmured Yukine in agreement.

Shinko turned around and pointed her finger right at his face. "But we're going to the nice inn I saw earlier. I don't trust the food at the one we're staying at. I'm paying for it anyway, so I get to decide."

"Sure, sure," said Yukine, holding up his hands. "You're the boss."

"Yes," she said. "I am." She removed the pointing finger, swiveled around, and strode towards the inn with a little bit of swagger.

Yukine ran his hands through his spiked back hair before following, sighing and thinking about their day. At first, Shinko had no idea what she was doing, so Yukine had to take charge of the tasks such as choosing an inn. She listened to his advice. Soon she began to grow in her role as the employer and thus the one in charge, when they began to look for information because it involved one of her best skills- talking. Now it had gotten to her head a bit. Not that Yukine minded. He was glad she had started to grow into her role- he didn't like to order employers around. He would much rather just silently take orders, just like when he worked under his lord.

They had only had some quick street-vendor takoyaki for lunch, so both of them were starving. Shinko waited patiently until Yukine arrived a few steps behind her, and the two of them pushed open the "door" (a big fabric curtain that had stitched into it the name of the inn and the services it offered), walking inside.

Everything was different. It was as if the owners of this inn had taken every single aspect of the inn Shinko and Yukine had been to before, and flipped it on its head. The atmosphere was calm. Quiet conversation permeated the air. Nothing was dirty- everyone in attendance had taken their sandals off at the front door (the inn even provided little cubbyholes for them) and Yukine and Shinko did the same.

Whereas the first inn was organized like a tavern on its' first level (with rooms on the second), this building's first floor resembled a restaurant, complete with appetizing aromas wafting out of the kitchen.

The patrons were of an altogether different sort, and none of them even bothered to stare at the newcomners. Some working samurai sat in one corner, drinking sake (but not too much, unlike the people at the other inn). A group of women in fine kimonos sat around a table, gossiping- probably a group of friends who were the wives of upper-class merchants and samurai. Other types of people sat around the area, such as merchants and well-off ronin. But one person stood out in particular.

He was a ronin, in samurai armor of black and green with an overcoat on top, about the same age as Yukine. He was sitting at a small table towards the back of the inn's dining area, with a normal meal in front of him, looking relaxed and content. Shinko wouldn't have even noticed him- he stood out no more than any of the other ronin. Except that as soon as Yukine had seen him, their eyes had locked. Yukine's winter blue ones stared straight into the other ronin's grayish hazel ones, which had lost all sense of contentment. Both of their faces were completely unreadable, but energy seemed to flicker between them like some sort of electrical reaction. Yukine's hand inched for his blade, and the other ronin looked ready to leap for the wrapped object behind him- tall and thin; most likely a spear.

A few seconds later, both men smiled slightly and nodded at each other. Neither had said a word, but somehow had formed an unspoken agreement. The invisible energy dissipated and the tension was gone. The black-haired ronin in the corner went back to his meal and Yukine turned to Shinko, who was looking at him questioningly.

"You know him?"

"An old acquaintance," was all he would say.

Shinko wisely picked a table towards the edge of the room, away from any curious eyes. Yukine smiled slightly as she did so. So she actually was learning, he thought.

Shinko paid for the meal just as the agreement had stated, so Yukine let her pick the cuisine. A friendly girl was soon over to ask them what they wanted. She didn't look scared of her own shadow like the one from the other inn; in fact she cheerfully helped Shinko order, listing her opinions on the different dishes and chatting about this and that. The green-haired samurai girl eventually decided on a rice dish that was the special of the day. "I'm tired of noodles," she said. She also ordered water for both of them. "Sake's gross," she said.

"Have you ever had sake?"

"Uh… no. Does it matter?"

Soon the smiling girl returned, bringing plates of steaming food with her. Her ponytail bobbed behind her as she walked with a skip in her step, skillfully dodging tables and customers, and setting down some delicious-smelling dishes in front of Shinko and Yukine. "Enjoy!"

"Ah, thanks!" cried Shinko in delight. The waitress nodded and skipped off to serve more tables. Shinko and Yukine clapped their hands together, bowed slightly and said "I humbly receive" in unison, before digging in.

"So," said Shinko between mouthfuls (after her initial exclamation of "OHMYARCEUS SO GOOD!"). "What do you think we should do tomorrow? I guess we should move on to the next town and ask around there?"

"Sure," said Yukine, stopping between bites.

"But, I mean, the more we move, the farther we get from the border the bandits cross over on," said Shinko, brow furrowed. "Theoretically, their base of operations should be somewhere in this region as it's close to the border."

"Well," said her travelling companion. "What we learned also supports your theory. There's a large group of brigands that you from Noborou's kingdom know exist, and are somewhere around here, yet no one, not even travelers, has heard of them- they're specifically preying upon your kingdom and that's all."

"Hmm, you're right." Shinko prodded the side of her face with the back of her chopstick absentmindedly as she thought for a while before saying, "Eh, I guess we'll sleep on it."

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. Shinko made small talk about the Yami, town life in the village, and other random topics. Yukine mainly responded with one-word answers and let her do all the talking.<p>

Before they knew it, the meal was over, and they were walking out of the inn, with Shinko vigorously thanking their hosts and Yukine just nodding in agreement. The black-and-green ronin had retired at one point to a room in the inn sometime during the duration of the meal.

Yawning, the two slowly trudged back to their inn. They hadn't realized just how late it was, or just how tired they were from walking around town all day. "Let's get a good night's sleep," Shinko said, stretching.

The closer they got to the seedier part of town, the less lights there were. Where they had eaten dinner, lanterns lined the streets like so many big fireflies, lending the streets a magical quality. People leisurely walked the streets, finishing up some last minute business or on a late-night date. Where Yukine and Shinko were, in the back streets, which were much tighter and more constrained, very few lights dotted the darkness. Anyone else on the paths shuffled quickly ahead and soon disappeared into the encroaching blackness.

"Tch," said Shinko in frustration, fiddling nervously with one of her braids. "We shouldn't have stayed out this late." Unconsciously they found themselves walking closer and closer to each other.

At last they saw the inn. Cheap lanterns were lit on either side of the old wooden door, framing it in flickering light. What had seemed like the gates to some pit of slime and death earlier that day now seemed to be the welcoming doors of salvation.

They quickened their pace once it came into view.

Suddenly, running feet sounded from behind. They hardly noticed until the owner of those feet collided with Yukine. The blue-haired ronin was sent reeling.

The offender had dashed straight through the ever-shrinking gap between Shinko and Yukine's bodies, but Yukine had taken the brunt of the assault- a full shoulder at least. Shinko had been hit by the fast-running figure too, though not nearly as hard. "Hey!" she called out angrily after them, cupping her hands around her mouth in a makeshift megaphone. "Watch it!"

The collision had affected the runner as well, as in front of the duo the figure stumbled. It waved a hand back at them. "Sorry!" a male voice came out from inside the hood as he righted himself, than dashed off again, vanishing into the darkness before Shinko could say anything more.

Neither Shinko nor Yukine had seen the man's face due to the hood, but he was wearing two defining features that they had taken note of in the light before he had run off again- two earlike appendages sewn on to the hood, and a unique sword that sat on the back of his belt. It was jagged and resembled a lightning bolt, and neither of them had seen its ilk before.

"Hmph! Some people, I swear!" Shinko huffed, reaching down to help the dazed Yukine up. He rubbed his head and grimaced.

"Huh? What's this?" asked Shinko. Yukine had been holding a slip of parchment in his hand, which fell out after Shinko helped him up with it. "Did that jerk give it to you?"

"I… I don't know." Yukine was at a loss. Curiously, they unfolded the roll of paper. Written on it in quickly scrawled text were the words, "I heard about you asking questions. I know about the bandits. Meet me at midnight by the town gates."

The soft light on the lanterns was just enough to read by, and now it shone on Shinko and Yukine's faces as they both looked up and locked eyes excitedly.

"Finally," she breathed, wide-eyed with enthusiasm and anticipation.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaand that's it. I'm sorry I just write too much- I didn't even get to the fight scene or the OCs getting introduced (although two were in this chapter and their creators will probably recognize them via their descripitons). But next chapter both of those things will definitely happen. Until then!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**No, this story is not dead! I'm back with a double-length chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>They both slept fitfully in anticipation. The inn's beds were also pretty awful, so that added to it.<p>

Once the designated time rolled around (ten minutes before midnight), Shinko and Yukine both found themselves in the hallway outside their inn rooms, dressed with weapons ready to be drawn if need be. The girl was fixing her hastily-made braids.

"Alright," said Shinko with a glimmer in her red-brown eyes. "Let's get going! I'm ready to go meet this person!"

They tromped down the stairs to the inn's bottom level, which was still fairly lively. More people were drunk this time around, though. The inn's rowdy populace ignored the two Pokemon, who slipped out the front door.

Pitch darkness greeted them outside of the warm orange glow of the inn. "Good thing I brought a lantern this time," said Shinko, retrieving an unlit lantern from her belt. Yukine lit it for her, wincing as the fire emerged. He wasn't a fan of fire.

They walked for a bit with Shinko holding the lantern, arm outstretched, in front of her to provide the night with a welcome degree of visibility.

"You know," Yukine said as he checked his katana for the fifteenth time, "This could be a trap.""

"Yeah," said Shinko simply. "But I don't care. As long as I find the bandits for my lord, I don't care if it's a trap or not. Plus I have you here, don't I? It's your job to protect me, Mr. Ice Swordsman."

Yukine sighed but said no more. Soon they reached the town gates. Torches lit the area, but nothing moved.

"No one's here," said Shinko, putting her free hand on her hip and pouting slightly.

"You're right," said Yukine. There was a long, drawn-out pause. "That's odd, though, that there's not even a watchman."

"Hmm, you're right. I guess there really is peace and prosperity in Yami lands all the time."

Suddenly a figure entered the light of the lantern, wearing a hooded vest.

Shinko nearly jumped a mile. "GAH wheredidyoucomefrom!?" She cried, saying the words extra fast so they seemed to all be one.

"Relax, it's me," said the figure, holding up his hands. "I was the one who gave you the note last night, remember?"

Shinko relaxed her defensive position but still looked slightly angry and very suspicious. She hadn't forgiven him for his soundless entrance. "Yeah," she snapped in response. "Wonderful way to give us a note, running into us like that."

"Hehe, sorry." He rubbed his head, under the hood with the strange earlike things on it. He had dirty blonde hair underneath, light brown eyes, and a sun-kissed complexion "I was in a big hurry; I had to get back to the camp. Ikusaba doesn't like it when he doesn't know where I am for over an hour. But, hey, my running skills were pretty awesome, you have to admit."

Shinko didn't admit. She didn't even acknowledge his running skills (though she was indeed impressed by them). "So tell me, who is this Ikusaba?" She paused. "And more importantly, who are you?"

"The name's Krassus," said Krassus. "Master thief. I'll work for you if the gold's good." He stepped further into the light of the lantern, winking mischeviously. Yukine looked him over. A yellow vest with a hood up, a brown tunic, short pants, and brown boots. His oddly shaped sword was in a yellow holster on the back of his belt.

Shinko waved her hand. "Not interested. Tell me what information you have." Arrogant people irked her.

"Ah, fine," said Krassus. His demeanor quickly changed. Now he seemed quieter, more subdued. "Y'see…" he started. "This guy Ikusaba. He works for the Yamis. Samurai under General Ribuko, in fact. Anyway, he approached me, said he was organizing a squad or something and could use my thieving skills. And the pay was great." He smiled ruefully.

He waved his hands. "Now, don't get me wrong, banditry's totally different from thievery. Bandits steal from the poor an' benefit themselves; thieves steal from the rich an' benefit the not-so-rich. I'm a thief. But this Ikusaba guy, he wanted us to be bandits."

Shinko leaned forward. This was sounding better and better. Krassus continued, "Ikusaba's got this little army of Yami soldiers, and hired mercenaries, bandits, an' thieves. He's looting that neighboring kingdom, the tiny one of Noborou's, under the guise of common bandits. But he's actually working for the Yami."

"Ah, yes!" Shinko did a little fist-pump. "Our theory was spot-on!" Her expression became more guarded. "But why are you telling us this, if you're working for them?"

Krassus shrugged. "Well, I want out. This isn't my thing. It's not good, what Ikusaba's doing. He's a pretty scary guy, too. He'd probably kill me if he found me escaping."

"But you're a master thief, right? Shouldn't it be easy for you to escape?"

"Well, yeah," said Krassus, as he scratched his head and blushed a bit. "But I just can't leave it. It's not right. I would've left when it started, but I need to stop Ikusaba. I can't take him on my own though, not him and his whole mini-army there. So I've been looking for someone to help."

"Huh," grunted Shinko. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all, under all that master-thief arrogance.

"So!" he said, a bit more excitedly. "Who're you guys? Sonohara peace operatives?" he paused. "You _are_ here to stop the attacks, right…? That's why you want to find the bandits…?"

"Yes," said Shinko. "I'm Shinko, a samurai from Noborou's kingdom. This is Yukine, a ronin who I hired as my bodyguard. I'm here undercover to find proof of the Yami attacks, and take it before the council of lords."

"Aw, that's it?" Krassus looked slightly dejected. "Well, it's better than nothing, I guess. Come on then, I'll show you the camp. Maybe you can kidnap one of Ikusaba's men as your proof, I don't know." He turned and began to jog away. A small white orb dangled on a chain around his neck, bouncing in tandem with his running. It sparked slightly with electricity.

Shinko and Yukine traded glances and followed the receding athletic figure. Like he had said before, he was pretty fast, from being a thief and all. Shinko and Yukine had to exert themselves to keep up.

No one exchanged a word for the majority of the run. It was actually fairly short. The dirt path blurred underneath them in the darkness, trees on the sides in a deep green wave, moon and stars on top. At one point Krassus veered off into the woods next to the road; the route marked by a large mossy stone.

Eventually, the thief came to a sudden stop. He waved a hand back at his followers. "Extinguish the lantern. We're close. Shh." Shinko and Yukine did as they were told.

Motioning them to follow him again, Krassus sauntered through the forest. He was skilled at silent movement. Shinko and Yukine weren't so skilled. Yukine had seen better, though. Krassus was good, but not that good. Yukine had worked with ninjas during the time serving his lord. They could run through this forest at top speed and not disturb a single fallen leaf.

Soon lights came into view between the tall, dark green spires that rose around them. The trio began to move slower. "We're here," Krassus whispered.

They inched forward, stopping on top of a small hill where they had a view of the camp. It was large and fairly spread out, with a variety of tents scattered throughout. The bandits themselves dotted the landscape, although there were very few, as most were probably asleep at this time. Still, it was odd. Only the tiny hint of a single conversation hung upon the air. The majority of the bandits were silent, even the ones on guard duty.

"Ribuko's here," said Krassus, almost instantly.

"_The_ general Ribuko?" Yukine inquired. "How do you know?"

"Whenever Ribuko's here, everyone has to be quiet. He's the best warrior in the Yami army, and the highest general. Although they say that other general, Wei Kamire, is a match for him."

"That doesn't explain why you have to be quiet," Shinko said.

"I don't really know, myself," Krassus answered. "Everyone's just afraid of him. He just has this… way. Like when he looks at you, you know he's above you in every way possible. Plus some of the stories about him are pretty grotesque." He shrugged. "That's what I've heard, anyway."

"And he's talking to Ikusaba, right?" Shinko asked. "If he is, then we should try to listen in. These might be their battle plans!"

"Okay," said Krassus. He inched around the trees, stealthily heading towards the biggest pavilion in camp, which was decorated in patterns of red, orange, and yellow, like an ornate inferno. The other two slowly followed.

"…has gone on long enough," a deep voice was saying. "It's time to put an end to this. Launch your last attack directly on Noborou's castle tomorrow night. Wipe him out. If he has any brains, his forces are probably spread thin, ready to defend his kingdom's villages against tiny bandit raids. Take your entire force and crush him where he lives. I expect you to kill him yourself, Ikusaba."

"Yes, my lord," a second deep voice boomed. But not as deep as the first.

Yukine got his first glimpse of the Yami samurai. First he saw Ikusaba. Ikusaba was a big man. Tall, heavy with muscle and fat- he looked like a wrestler, except he was in red and gold samurai armor with black accents.

Shinko exchanged a wide-eyed look with her bodyguard. "Uh-oh."

But the other man, General Kaemon Ribuko, put his subordinate to shame. Kaemon was a tower of a man, stocky and muscular like some sort of ox king. He wore traditional samurai armor of orange and red, with a massive black sash around his waist. He actually had somewhat of a beer belly, but it didn't take away from his incredibly masculine appearance. Shinko and Yukine knew immediately why he caused everyone to fear him.

"I don't understand why Lady Yami wants us to play these dumb games," Kaemon sighed, turning away from Ikusaba. His long, flowing, orange hair swished as he walked. "She's always about subterfuge and schemes. If it were me, I'd just storm in there and kill them all."

"You're right, my lord," Ikusaba said reverently, clasping his hands. They had many rings on them- all gold. He also had golden earrings, a nose ring, circular bracelets, and a single dangle earring in the shape of a flame to match. "Absolutely right." The burly samurai was incredibly reverent of his superior, as if Kaemon were Arceus himself.

The general did not share the same respect for his subordinate. "No I'm not, you dolt!" He shook his fist, and Ikusaba cowered, his dark-skinned face flooding with red in shame. "Lady Yami is always right. She's the reason I'm here today, where I'm supposed to be. I may not understand her ways, but she's got a perfect plan in mind, and don't you doubt it." Kaemon looked down upon Ikusaba disdainfully. "You'd best remember that, if you actually want me to promote you."

He strode towards his colossal horse- a black battle horse with as much musculature as the general himself. Yukine caught a glimpse of sparkling devilish eyes the color of cut rubies. Ikusaba scuttled behind, mumbling "Yes, m'lord, yes, m'lord."

The general waved a hand. "I'm leaving. Apparently I'm too iconic to participate in a battle that's supposed to be fought by bandits. If I leave now I'll make it to the inn by sunrise. Take care of that battle for me, now. Wipe out that damn small kingdom of Noborou's- women and children, too. And if you fail…" He turned around, neon red eyes looking at Ikusaba emotionlessly. "Well, you know what'll happen if you fail."

"Ah, yes, my lord." The samurai bowed as Kaemon mounted his steed.

"Is that all you can even say?" growled the general condescendingly. He turned and galloped away without a further word, not even a goodbye. The massive horse and its matching-sized rider's hoof beats reverberated through the forest, bouncing off the trees like thunder.

"Ah, he's just upset he doesn't get to fight in the battle," Ikusaba said reassuringly to himself. "He's not really mad at _me_. I'm still his favorite subordinate." He rubbed his hands together again and scurried off, muttering to himself about how he was Kaemon's preferred pet.

Yukine, Shinko, and Krassus retreated further into the forest and huddled together behind a large, mossy boulder. Shinko was not happy.

"They're gonna invade my kingdom!" she whispered frantically. "Kill my lord! Take over! We can't let this happen! We can't!" Her red-brown eyes were wide with anxiety, darting back and forth from Krassus to Yukine like an unending pendulum. "We have to do something! Can we fight them now!?"

"Ikusaba's men are scattered throughout the countryside, waiting for his orders. He only brings a few on hjs raids to keep up the common bandit charade. He'll have to organize them all for tomorrow night's attack, though. I don't know how many there are in total, but at this camp, the biggest one, I'd estimate between fifty and one hundred." Krassus said, idly drawing in the dirt with his finger.

"Let's see…" said Yukine. "That many enemies, plus Ikusaba himself. We've got three people on our side."

"The odds aren't too good," said Krassus, fingering the white ball on his necklace absentmindedly.

Shinko was about to protest when Yukine interrupted. "Except they aren't as bad as you think. One hundred men against three Pokemon?" The rhetorical question hung in the night air, as Krassus and Shinko looked at each other, wide-eyed.

"What?" asked the thief.

"I'm a Glaceon, an ice-type, and she's a Flygon, a dragon-and-ground type," Yukine explained. "And judging from the sparks I saw earlier, you're an electric type of some sort." He tilted his head. "Am I right?"

A smile slowly spread across Krassus's face. "Oh, so you guys are, too? Then we definitely have a chance! I'm a Pikachu, by the way." He held out his arm as if he was just now introducing himself. Shinko giggled and shook it. Then suddenly the Pikachu turned serious. "There's no other Pokemon in the bandits' ranks, though- I checked. I was the only one. Except Ikusaba. I purposefully avoided him in order to keep my identity a secret. I don't know what type of Pokemon he is because of that. I've only seen him fight, though, and he never uses his power. He's just definitely not human; that's all I know."

Shinko's smile faded as well. "Well, this just got harder," Yukine muttered.

"What if we brought another Pokemon?" Krassus asked. "Just in case. The sides should be pretty even then. You know, backup."

"Oh, I know just the Pokemon," Yukine said.

Morning daylight began to filter through the trees as the three were skirting the camp, and one of the sentries had decided to wander a bit from his usual post. The recipe for disaster culminated when he saw a figure darting through the undergrowth, called out, and drew his sword. "Who's there!?" he roared- a burly man in leather armor.

"Crap!" Shinko and Yukine leapt behind a large brown tree trunk.

"We could take them now, but then we wouldn't have our fourth fighter," Yukine whispered. "We'd also lose the element of surprise, attacking a sentry who just told the whole camp we're here."

"I also need to write a letter to my lord in case something happens," said Shinko. "We can't afford to fight them now."

Krassus, in the shade of a bush next to them, gritted his teeth. Then, without a word, he jumped forward so the guard saw him. "Hehe, it's just me!" He said, smiling widely and scratching the back of his head.

"Tch. Krassus!" The man growled, angrily. "Up to your dumb tricks again, that's gonna get you killed someday." He turned around, chuckling. "You really had me, though. I thought someone had found the camp."

Behind the sentry's back, Krassus mouthed "go" and gestured with his hands. Shinko and Yukine nodded and snuck off into the early dawn.

* * *

><p>"You."<p>

"Me," said Yukine. Shinko peeked over his shoulder, wide-eyed.

"What do you want?" the ronin in the black and green armor asked.

"Actually, It's what I want," Shinko said, hopping in front of Yukine. "I'd like to hire another ronin to help take out some bandits. Their leader is a Pokemon as well, so we want to have another on our side."

The ronin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So this doesn't have anything to do with Yukine?"

"I hired him as well," Shinko said, beaming. "He vouched for your talent as a fighter."

"Eh, okay," said the black-haired man slowly. "How much would I get paid?"

"I am a samurai of Lord Noborou," said Shinko. "After we defeat these bandits, we will return to him and I'll make sure both you and Yukine receive adequate payment."

"Oh, so it's not just a job for a samurai girl, it's actually a job for a lord?" He said, standing up and stretching. "They always pay well, and I could always use extra money."

"Sorry this is so random and sudden," said Shinko sheepishly. "But we have to go now. I'll explain on the way."

"Eh, okay, it's not like I had anything better to do," the ronin said, reaching for his shrouded weapon behind the bench he'd been sitting on, outside the fine inn. "I'm Shou Shimizu, a Metagross."

"I'm Shinko. I'm a Flygon." They shook hands. "And this is-"

"Yeah, I know who this is," said Shou, cutting off Shinko, who gave a little "hmph." Shinko didn't like being interrupted. Shou looked Yukine up and down. Yukine did the same. Shou's eyes, grayish hazel, looked suspicious but not aggressive. "So, no bad blood?" he inquired.

"Nope," the Glaceon answered. They also shook hands.

"We-ell!" exclaimed Shinko, waving her hands to distract the two ronin and end the tense, awkward situation. "Let's just get going, why don't we!?"

* * *

><p>Following the path Krassus had taken them was a bit hard because it all looked different in the daylight, but they made it. Shinko explained the entire situation to Shou, who nodded reassuringly and as if he was thinking it all over. He proved top be easy to talk to, relaxed and friendly, taking in these new circumstances quite easily. However, he did not share a single word with Yukine.<p>

They reached the camp. As anticipated, the bandits were rushing around, preparing for their large nighttime raid. They weren't expecting guests. No one even noticed the three newcomers until they were actually at the edge of the camp, when the sentry from the night before called out a warning.

"Who's there!?" he bellowed, as the disorganized bandits began to scramble for weapons and defensible positions.

Shinko took a step forward. To her right was a ronin with ice-blue hair and clothing, hand on his katana. On the other side stood another ronin, with black and green armor. Both looked like fearsome foes, their eyes narrowed- darting left and right to take in the entirety of the campsite that would serve as their battleground. The girl samurai in the center's eyes were closed as she took a deep breath.

Then they opened, fiery and angry, like that of a dragon her elemental typing was derived from. "I am Shinko of the Kingdom of Noborou!" she called out defiantly. "I am here to put a stop to these attacks, once and for all." She drew her naginata off of her back and fell easily into her fighting stance, the simplicity of the action the product of years of practice.

Shou, to her left, whipped the shroud off of the long object he carried with him, revealing a unique cross-shaped spear. He also dropped into a combat position.

"Heh," said one of the bandits. "It's just these three? And one of them's a girl!" A malicious smile spread across his face. "Well, let's get 'em, boys!"

They charged. They were of all skill levels, due to the fact that they'd been a collection of Yami soldiers, mercenaries, and various outlaws. But still, they weren't a match for the three samurai they faced. Each had been the pinnacle of their lords' eye, and had been trained as their best. The bandits alone didn't stand much of a chance.

Shinko and Shou's weapons had long range, so they were able to whip them around their bodies, blocking all attacks and creating a wall of steel. The bandits had a hard time getting close to them, let alone hit them. The duo cut through the horde like a knife through butter, sending bandits sprawling on top of each other, clutching at bleeding wounds.

It was a bit harder for Yukine. He wasn't using his katana, because when he opened it, it exuded cold air and ice crystals. Instead, he fought with it inside the sheath, a style he'd become proficient at in recent years. He had to focus a lot more on his fighting than Shinko and Shou because of the short range of his weapon, dodging incoming attacks and aiming the white painted wood sheath at the heads of his victims to knock them out.

"Where's your friend we were supposed to meet?" called Shou over the tumult.

"I don't know." Shinko gritted her teeth as she swung her naginata in a wide arc, blocking a few sword-wielding brigands from reaching her. They stumbled away, grabbing at the blood that welled up beneath their tunics. Shinko wasn't aiming to kill; her fighting style was more defensive. Realizing her companions couldn't hear her spoken word over the clamor of the fighting, she yelled, "I don't know!"

"I don't see him anywhere," Yukine said as he blocked a downward-slashing club, before kicking the offending bandit in the face and swinging his sheath in the other direction to smack another charging enemy. "Or Ikusaba for that matter. I think it's time to start using our powers."

Shinko gave him the affirmative, so the samurai in the pale blue performed one more whirling attack. It slashed around him in a complete circle, knocking back any nearby enemies and causing any onrushers to pause in their assault. He stood there, breathing heavily from the exertion for a few seconds. Even though he was a Pokemon and an expert swordsman, it hadn't stopped the dangers of battle. He was sweating, bleeding in a few spots, and had new cuts in his already well-worn clothing.

Then he drew his sword.

As always, the temperature around him dropped. The blade emerged, longer than a usual katana, covered in frost. The bandits surrounding him looked uncertain. Then he did something else- he threw the sheath straight into the air and said, "hail."

The white wood hovered there and began spouting dark clouds from the opening, like a smoker with an especially smoky pipe. The shadows of the clouds spread over the enemy bandits as large hailstones began to drop. The sheath returned to his hand and he assumed the fighting stance he was most used to- sword in one hand, sheath in the other. The edges of his mouth twitched upward in a thin smile.

The bandits backed up, uncertain. A few took off into the trees. They had been sure they'd be able to beat these three samurai, even though the three were very skilled. The bandits still had the advantage in sheer numbers. Until the blue one started using strange magic.

Now they had to dodge hailstones as well as an elongated Ice Fang katana, plus the two proficient spear-wielders. For some reason neither of them were using their Pokemon abilities. Shou was easily defeating any enemies that came near- as a fighter, he relied much less on special powers than Yukine did. He could take care of this situation with just his spear.

Shinko was another story. She was tiring quickly and visibly, her naginata swings becoming more erratic. The Metagross took notice of this and made his way towards her, aiding in her defense.

Suddenly, the biggest tent in the bandits' camp exploded outward in a powerful Lava Plume, followed by a bellowing fit of laughter. Ikusaba strode out of the main tent, dragging a barely conscious Krassus behind him. His fists still glowed slightly ruby from his last attack.

"I had to deal with this little rat running about in my tent," he said as he grinned maliciously. "As you can see, I did it quite painfully." He tossed Krassus towards them, who skidded toward Shinko's feet and lay still, breathing heavily. Shinko moved to stand above him in defense so he wouldn't have to stand further injuries- the dark bruises covering his body were enough trouble to deal with. Shou joined her.

"Now its time for me to beat you. Don't worry, I won't kill you too much." The villainous dark-skinned man slammed his fists together. Each one had powerful metal kunckles on them. They looked dangerous, especially visible underneath his maniacal smile. "Mistress Fuyu pays well for new men to add to her collection. And I can take you, girl, for myself."

His eyes moved up and down her body. He licked his lips slightly and she shuddered visibly but regained her composure. "But it's three against one," she called back, head tilted proudly. Most of the other bandits had cleared out by then. They weren't going to stay for the imminent fight between these three powerful adversaries and their boss, which they knew would be explosive. They also knew their boss wouldn't care if they got caught in the furor.

"Oh, so it is," Ikusaba was clearly not shaken at all. His continuous smile unnerved Shinko. The Yami samurai settled into a fighting stance. "Well, I do believe that it's time to change that."

Yukine, who was closer to Ikusaba, quickly darted forward, Ice Fang ready for a powerful swipe. Ikusaba giggled, like a little schoolgirl, than in a split second breathed in and out, gushing out a huge plume of red-gold fire. "Flamethrower."

Thankfully, Yukine's reflexes hadn't diminished in his time as a ronin. He quickly saw the attack, eyes widened, than swung his sword in front of him. "Protect." A clear force field-like shield extended from the tip of the blade, deflecting the flames. What Yukine lacked in people skills, he made up for in combat capability.

However, his Protect faded within seconds, and he was still not near close enough to his foe to hit Ikusaba with an Ice Fang close up. Ikusaba's smiling mouth shot yet another burst of fire. Yukine tried at Protect again, but it failed- the move doesn't well work in succession. He attempted to dodge the swirling inferno at the last second, but was still caught by the attack, which sent him shooting through the air like a Pokemon using Extremespeed.

Shinko caught a glimpse of his blue eyes, wide with shock; and his mouth, open in pain with no sound coming back. The attack, super effective, sent him catapulting past the samurai girl and into one of the bandits' tents, which collapsed. His eyes close and his body went limp- out cold.

"Damn!" Shinko turned to the enemy samurai in red, who was laughing hysterically. She hadn't expected him to take out Yukine, especially not in one hit! Super effective attacks really can turn the tide of battle.

Shou's mind was working fast. He knew that, as a steel-type, he was weak to fire as well. He needed to attack Ikusaba before his opponent could attack him- but the distance was too great for him to fight with his spear (he saw what happened to Yukine). He decided to rely on his Pokemon moves.

Slowly and quietly, the Metagross swished his spear around in the air in a series of movement that resembled a conductor for a large orchestra, taking advantage of Ikusaba's bought of laughter after his defeat of Yukine.

"Ahaha, Lord Ribuko will be so pleased," said the fire-type to himself, wiping away a tear. "I'll defeat all these Pokemon, and kill Noborou, all in one day! Ahaha hehehe!" He didn't notice a group of stones and pieces of debris rising up into the air behind him until the psychically charged objects slammed into his backside.

"Ow!" Ikusaba fell over forward gracelessly, leaping up quickly to launch an attack at Shou. But Shou already had one queued up after his Psyshock. "Signal Beam!" A white orb of light formed at the tip of his spear, which he had pointed towards the fire-type. Within less than a second, the orb exploded outward in a concentrated beam of multicolored light, as if Shou had just launched the aurora borealis out of his weapon.

Fumbling for a counterattack before the Signal Beam hit him, Ikusaba managed to launch a Flamethrower directly into the beam when it was about a foot away from him, resulting in a small explosion.

However, unlike the previous Psyshock, the red samurai was prepared for this wave of damage and was able to assume a fighting stance fluidly after being knocked back by the detonation.

Both warriors sized each other up for a few seconds. Both were powerful, and each was ready for the other to make a move. And move they did. Shou's defenses and skills were good, but it was a losing battle. Ikusaba's signature Flamethrower was super-effective on Shou but the Metagross had nothing that could do that to his enemy. Shou was on the defensive, but it couldn't stay that way forever.

Shinko sat next to the unconscious body of Krassus, clutching her naginata. Her eyes were wide and afraid, darting back and forth between the two fighters. Sweat dripped down her face, plopping into the dry dirt beneath her.

"Dammit," growled Shou under his breath as a barely-parried Flamethrower singed his arm. "Shinko! I could use some help here!"

"I-I can't!" Shinko stammered. If anything, she looked even more anxious now.

"Sure you can!" Shou managed a kind smile between attacks, but within a few seconds his face reverted to the concentrated, strained face of a combatant fighting for his life. "Two against one," he said between breaths. "We still have a chance."

He fired off a Singal Beam, ripping through Ikusaba's Will-o-Wisp that the enemy stealthily launched beneath a potent Fire Blast, which Shou had already deflected. "What type were you again?" he asked without even looking at Shinko- the concentration was too great.

"Uh… ground and dragon…" she replied in a small voice, not looking at him and clutching her naginata tighter.

Shou's concentration dropped for a second, almost taking a Flamethrower to the face before just barely dodging it. "Seriously!?" his head whipped around to look at her. "Than you have complete type advantage!"

As fast as he could, Shou fired off five Shadow Balls at Ikusaba, putting the fire-type on the defensive for a few seconds. Shou used this time to dash over to Shinko. "Hit him with a ground attack! We can win this!"

Shinko shook her head, cowering. "No! I can't!"

"What do you mean you can't?"

"It's wrong I'm wrong I shouldn't ever use it!" she cried, trying to back away from Shou.

"Tch. Says who?" Shou reflexively parried a Fire Blast from his enemy, but he took some of the force, wincing as he stood over Shinko. Somewhere across the battlefield, their enemy began to cackle in glee. He could tell Shou was weakening.

"My lord says so. My lord is always right. He showed me. Powers are evil. We shouldn't have them. Everybody should be equal. It's wrong to be unequal. I'm a wrong." Her eyes glazed over as she mumbled at increasing speed. Suddenly she stopped and spoke in an even quieter voice. "If I use my powers, my lord will punish me. I don't like it when he punishes me. It… it hurts." She began to rock back and forth.

Finally Shou snapped. "I don't care what you or your lord thinks about Pokemon powers! But right now they're the only thing that can save your life and mine! Do you want to die!?"

He yelled it, facing Shinko, sweat all across his face, the face of a man who knew he was going to lose his battle very very soon. His arms were spread wide, pleading, asking her to do something. If she didn't do something, the battle was over.

He didn't see the Fire Blast coming up behind him.

Shinko's gave a little start. His shouting had pierced through the cocoon she'd wrapped around herself. In a split second she took it all in- Shou, the incoming attack, the enemy- laughing and dancing in the distance. With a scream she plunged her naginata into the ground.

It was a scream unlike anything Shou had heard before- full of writhing emotions. To use her powers was to die, in her mind. But as she saw her friend of only a few hours about to die in front of her, instinct took over. It made her realize that both of them could very easily die. Maybe it was concern for Shou, or maybe it was simply self-preservation. But whatever it was, it caused the ground to ripple away from where her naginata had sunk in and suddenly erupt into an earthen wall, blocking the fire completely.

So she screamed. All her pent-up emotions flowed out, but she did not collapse. She stood up, shaking and hunched, but standing nonetheless.

She saw faces. Shou's face, shocked and joyous at the same time. Ikusaba's face- mouth and eyes all forming wide O's. He realized the tables had turned. Completely.

The bandits' faces. Those that had stuck around, hiding behind trees and tents to watch the battle, showed nothing but awe. And fear. They knew their boss was done; it was over (though they felt nothing for him).

Krassus's and Yukine's faces, both with closed eyes, unconscious. While Krassus looked angry and in pain, Yukine still retained his distinct calmness. And the biggest face of all, the face of her lord, Noborou. He was everywhere, all over the earth, angry. So angry. Like he was ready to do… something. Something painful

But he couldn't hurt her. She was strong. Powerful, unbreakable. The earth itself was her weapon, an extension of the naginata she already carried. She was going to use it to protect herself, Shou, Yukine, and Krassus. She spat in Lord Noborou's face.

Ikusaba had to no time to react. Her second Earth Power caused the ground below the Yami samurai to go down like a vacuum had sucked the earth out from below him, than, like a lightning-fueled slingshot, shoot upwards. Ikusaba was catapulted far off into the distance. It was so sudden, he made no sound. Nobody could survive a fall like that.

It was over. That quickly. Shinko's bout of strength was over. She sank to her knees and hugged her arms to herself as if she was cold, breathing heavily. "Hey," said Shou. She looked up and he smiled at her in his signature relaxed grin. No more yelling. "You did good."

"Mm," she smiled thinly. "No, I didn't. I broke the rules." She gave a defeated chuckle. "I'll be punished, and I'll have nothing to dissuade him. No evidence to present to the council of lords." She was right. No bandits remained in the camp to take hostage, and Ikusaba's command tent had been reduced to ashes- no confounding documents would be found there.

A weak laugh called her attention down to Krassus, who had regained consciousness. "That's where you're wrong." Slowly and shakily, he drew a piece of paper out from his vest. It was a missive- straight from General Ribuko, detailing all of Ikusaba's orders. It even had the official Yami seal stamped right on it.

"Ah," said Shou, raising his eyebrows. "So that's why you were in that tent when we arrived. Well, Shinko, we have your proof. Now I think I'd like my payment." He jerked a hand towards the slumped figure of Yukine. "And I'm sure he'd like his too, when he comes around."

"Mm," said Shinko, still distant.

"And you know," he said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Your lord's never going to know you used her powers, because he's not here, and none of us are gonna tell him."

Krassus gave a cheerful, if weak, nod. Shinko's face lit up, as if she'd come to the sudden realization that Lord Noborou was not omniscient in the least. "Well," she said. "We'd better get going, than, shouldn't we?" Her smile wasn't nearly as scared.

* * *

><p>And so there they went, all four Pokemon. The Pikachu leaning on the Flygon, the Metagross holding the unconscious Glaceon over his shoulder. They arrived back in the town they'd come from and to get their horses, and left quickly, traveling to the border as quickly as possible so as to avoid any Yami forces out for revenge.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>OCs have started to appear! Thanks to everyone who submitted them :D<strong>

**Krassus Sullivan (Pikachu) submitted by Kevinboy1008  
><strong>

**Kaemon Ribuko (Emboar) submitted by SentientPixel**

**Shou Shimazu (Metagross) submitted by Seth98**

**Yukine (Glaceon) and Ikusaba (Magmar) are mine, and Shinko (Flygon) was given to me by a friend in real life.**

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ayy a new chapter! Enjoy.**

**As a warning, I've introduced a lovely new villain this chapter, but she's very twisted, so there's going to be a bit of sadism and implied sexual stuff and so yeah. Getting a little dark with a few people.**

* * *

><p>The four Pokemon made for the border in haste, silent and focused on their goal. They were in luck, because the Yami lands made so thick with forests that hiding from border patrols and slipping over the border was a relatively easy task. Of course, crossing borders between lords' kingdoms was not a crime, and tons of travelers and merchants did it daily. However, samurai from other kingdoms were often not allowed so they had to be cautious.<p>

Once free of the dense woodlands of the Yami kindom, which seemed to cover the land in a lush blanket of murky green, the group was able to slow down. Shinko stretched her arms to the sky and smiled. She was in an upbeat mood. Shou was his usual calm, relaxed self, and Yukine and Krassus were somewhat withdrawn, both recuperating from the fight. Pokemon seemed to recover better than normal humans, but the battle had still taken its toll. Both had small armies of cuts and bruises. Their Flygon and Metagross companions did as well, but not to the same extent.

Now that they were in Noborou's kingdom, their vigilance faded and they were able to begin a leisurely pace, allowing themselves and the horses time to relax a little. Shinko explained that Noborou's kingdom was a small, square-like territory, with a large, main town in the center and several outlying farms and clusters of houses surrounding it. The landscape was different than the Yamis,' and the thick trees and shrubbery soon thinned out to peaceful countryside. Farmland stretched out from both sides of the road like two seas of crops and plant life split down the center.

Yukine took note of how different this road was from the one he'd been on in the Yami lands, before he'd stopped at the temple and met Shinko. That one had been busy, teeming with people of all sorts, but this one had far less travelers, and the ones who were there walked a laid-back pace underneath the warm afternoon sun and smiled and nodded at the four.

"If we hurry we can make it to the castle by nightfall," said Shinko.

"Well, are we really in any hurry?" asked Shou with a yawn. "I mean, the problem's solved, and there's no danger anymore."

"Mmm, you're right," said the green-haired girl in response, poking her chin with her finger thoughtfully. "Maybe we should find somewhere to take it easy for the night, and then head there in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan," said Krassus from the horse. "I could use some sleep." The four had organized their party so that the wounded Krassus and Yukine could ride on the two available horses, who also carried the group's supplies, while Shinko and Shou went on foot.

The sun sat in the sky, looking nervously at the horizon as if it couldn't decide whether to set right now or not. In this indecisive sun's rays, Shinko spied a lonely farmhouse. It sat by itself in the midst of a few gardens and fields, with a few small buildings nearby. Animal noises could be heard over the air, faintly, like nature's musician was playing his tune over the fields, riding on the wind like a fallen leaf.

Nearing the homestead, the group was able to see smoke coming out of the house- it was lived in. The building itself was old and dilapidated; nothing but a small shack, really- it probably only had one or two rooms. The other buildings, probably sheds or barns, were in even worse condition: falling apart and even missing roof pieces.

Even though looked as if the farm would emanate poverty and despair, it didn't. Sure, Noborou's land was poor, and the farmers lived like this, but there was a sense of joy in the air. A palpable feeling seemed to ripple through the sky and the last clouds of the day. Being surrounded by nature and its symphonic sounds was part of it, but the farmhouse itself added to the sensation. Light danced through the open windows and the door, open a crack, complimented by muffled laughter. Happy sounds.

Shinko knocked on the door and the noise quieted. "Who could that be at this hour?" and "Tsukune, go grab the door," were heard instead.

The entry way finally opened, revealing a small boy. He couldn't have been older than nine. Big brown eyes looked up questioningly, then widened at the samurai in armor. He recognized the symbols dotting her ensemble and he broke out in a big smile. He was missing an upper right tooth.

"Mom, mom!" he called. "A samurai's come to visit."

A woman who must have been his mother peaked around the door, holding a baby. Her hair was raven-colored and unruly, just like her son's. "Four samurai, dear," she said to him before directing her voice at Shinko. "Well, do you want to come in?"

She had to ask- it was the rule. If a samurai stopped by the house of a peasant, the peasant must be hospitable, offering food and beds. It helped if the peasant in question had small samurai-obsessed children.

Tsukune ran inside excitedly as the samurai followed, waved in impatiently by Tsukune's mother. He came back, dragging a small wide-eyed girl behind him. She had a similar appearance, but was just a toddler (and an adorable one at that). She must have been his sister.

The rest of the family sat around the hearth in the center of the room. It looked like they were having tea. There was a father- strong and muscular from fieldwork, short-cropped black hair, middle-aged; solidly built. A bent-over grandfather and a petite, squinty-eyed grandmother sat there too, blowing on their tea.

Shou entered after leading the horses around back, carrying their packs in with him. Inside, Yukine and Krassus were sitting exhaustedly, with tea in their hands. Shinko had explained that they were returning after a run-in with the bandits plaguing the land, and the farmers had been excited to hear that their leader had been defeated. They knew all about the bandits attacking neighboring farms, and were especially happy to receive the samurai defending their land.

Everyone was formally introduced to each other. Shinko was able to retain each of the family's names and speak to them casually. For Yukine, they went in one ear and out the other. They recognized Shinko's name as one of their lord's top samurai and insisted on calling her "Lady Shinko."

Shinko talked with the children for a few minutes before it was their bedtime. "It's about time we retire, too," said Shinko. "I'd love to stay up and talk with you, but we've had a long day and we need to get up early tomorrow, as well."

"Ah, understand," said the father. "I'll need to get to sleep soon, too. A hard day's work deserves a good night's rest."

Shinko bowed, and the other three did the same. "I apologize for interrupting your family's privacy and taking advantage of your hospitality for our own needs," she said formally, still bowing. Her forest-green braids touched the floor, vines reconnecting with the earth. "A thousand thanks."

"Oh no no no," the wife waved her hand, blushing. "It's just common decency. It's the law to be hospitable to samurai, anyway." She turned and walked quickly to one of the back doors, businesslike. "We don't have much in the way of bedding, but I can offer you a few blankets."

The four stood up and ambled over to her position. The woman's husband also stood, and went to retrieve the covers.

The room itself was seemingly where the family stored their belongings. Old farm tools hung on the walls and sacks and boxes hugged the edges of the small space. The farmer's wife busily shoved some clutter to the side in order to open up the floor space. Shinko, Yukine, Krassus, and Shou began to shrug off their belongings, but the woman grabbed Shinko's arm.

"Oh no," she said. "I'm not letting a young girl like you sleep with three boys, let alone in a space as cramped as this. They'll hardly fit themselves." She clicked her tongue and gestured with her arm. "Come. You can have me and Jiro's bed. We can sleep in the main room instead."

"Oh, no, wa-" Shinko began waving her hands but the woman shushed her.

"I will not take no for an answer," was the brisk reply, and she began to pull Shinko out of the room.

Shinko stopped her. "Ok, if you say so. It's just… thank you, Hana. Thank you very much. This kindness means a lot to me." She bowed slightly, blushing.

Hana was even redder. "O-o-oh," she stammered. "It's an honor, Lady Shinko."

Shinko bobbed her head, not even attempting to say "please just call me Shinko-" it wouldn't work. "I think I'll stay up a little longer myself, though. I'd like to see the sunset."

Hana smiled. "That's a fine idea."

Jiro shuffled past them as they exited the room and dropped the blankets off. "You boys rest good now," he said. "It's a small house, with at least three people in each room, and the walls are thin, but all you need to do is think of sleep and it'll come to ya." He nodded in agreement of his own opinion. "G'night, then."

"Good night," said Shou. "And thank you."

The farmer scratched the back of his head and departed, muttering, "I ain't ever seen no samurai this polite before."

The guys arranged their blankets as best they could in the confined space, wondering if they'd be able to effectively sleep this close together. They each hoped the other wouldn't roll into their blanket space. It didn't help that both Shou and Yukine were over six foot.

As soon as Krassus lay down, he was out like a light. He didn't wear any armor that would get in the way of sleep like Shou did- all he needed to do was remove his sword and boots. As Shou took off his armor, he informed Yukine of what happened after he'd been knocked unconscious during the fight against Ikusaba, including Shinko and the confusing and somewhat disturbing things she'd said. "You're close to her," Shou said to his old enemy, before rolling over to face the wall. "I thought you would like to know."

"But I'm… not," said Yukine. He was conflicted inwardly. _I'm not, am I?_ he wondered to himself. _In fact, I hardly know her. She's nice and I like her, I guess… and I guess we did save each others' lives. If she hadn't Earth Power-ed that fire-type, I wouldn't be here now, going by what Shou said…_

He was worried, though. He couldn't deny that. _She's a traveling companion and I'm worried about her. That's it_. Shou murmured something incoherent in reply to Yukine's previous statement and tried to fall asleep.

Yukine found Shinko outside, sitting on the cool grass. The sunset was just ending, but the sky was still a painter's pallet of pinks and golds.

"I've always liked sunsets," Shinko said. "Especially when they're over flat ground like this- they just feel more complete."

"Mmm," Yukine agreed. He sat down next to her.

They sat for a few minutes, as the fiery orb finally bid its last goodbye and slipped over the horizon line. The light faded and the paint splashes in the sky gave way to the blues and purples of the nighttime sky.

Stars dotted the darkening realm above as Yukine spontaneously said, "You know, we don't have to go back."

"Huh?" she turned to him, braids spinning in the cold night air. "Whaddayou mean? Go back where?"

"To your castle."

"But don't you want the money? And I owe Shou, too. And what about Krassus?" her irises darted back and forth within her eye, confused, searching. She wasn't picking up Yukine's underlying message.

"Ah, I don't need that. And I'm sure they would understand," he responded, waving his hand.

She still looked confused. "Why are you saying this so suddenly?"

"It's just…" Yukine opened his mouth, then closed it. He rubbed the back of his neck. "After Krassus and I were knocked unconscious… you said some things. Shou told me. I don't know if we're reading into it too much, but, I don't know, I'm worried." He looked at her, then away. "If you're not happy there, you don't need to stay." Quickly he added, "Oh! I'm not going to pry though. That's your business."

"But… I am happy," said Shinko. She turned toward the sky once more, her eyes clouding, zoning out. "Aren't I…?" she questioned herself. She looked deep in thought.

Yukine stood to his feet, uncomfortably shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Well, I'm going to sleep now. I guess… I just wanted to let you know, I- we're here for you. I don't know, think about it." His companion nodded almost imperceptibly, not looking in his direction.

The Glaceon ronin took a few steps towards the house. "Well, g'night," he said, before going inside, silently berating himself for his uselessness and awkwardness.

He looked back once, as she said, "Good night, Yuki."

Inside, the farmer family was preparing for bedtime. Normally, Hana and Jiro slept with their children in the other back room, while the two grandparents were in the main room. After giving Shinko their bed, Hana and Jiro were quietly putting together some sheets in a makeshift bed so as not to wake anybody.

"Nice night outside, huh?" Jiro asked Yukine with an exaggerated wink, moving his body so it seemed to indicate the door his samurai guest had just entered from.

Yukine was nearly at his room, so quickly went inside, pretending he hadn't heard him. The sleeping forms of Shou and Krassus were spread across the floor, so Yukine waded over them to his spot, flopped down, and was passed out within seconds. He hadn't realized how tired he had been.

* * *

><p>The next day the party awoke bright and early, rubbing the sleep from their eyes, but they felt good. Refreshed, happy- a new day. Hana insisted she provide them with breakfast for the road, even though Shinko tried to stop her multiple times. Apparently Shinko was still heading on planning on going back to her lord.<p>

Shinko hugged each child, and their mother too. The four of them waved at the family before leaving, and the family waved back.

Shinko took a deep breath, and said, "I'm sorry we were such poor guests. We stayed just overnight and left very early in the morning, not even sharing a meal with you. But you were wonderful hosts. Thank you, and thank you again." She bowed twice. Yukine, Shou, and Krassus joined her.

Hana beamed. Jiro winked at Yukine again. The two grandparents waved, and the two children ran to the main street with them before bidding them farewell.

"That was… nice," said Shinko absently, after awhile. "We spent so little time with them, but I feel… close."

"Mmm," murmured Yukine and Shou in agreement.

"You're right, it was nice," Krassus added from atop the horse.

* * *

><p>The morning passed uneventfully and mostly silent. The four were still fairly tired after everything that had happened, and it was still early as well (it didn't help that nobody slept in a real bed besides Shinko). But it was a fine day; the sun shone brightly in the baby blue sky, dancing alongside wispy cream clouds, like an egg yolk surrounded by the whites. Coupled with the green vibrancy of the fields, it was a calming, peaceful atmosphere.<p>

Sure enough, the road began to grow larger. More farms and people were seen, and the city was no longer a vague shape in the distance. The four picked up the pace, led by Shinko, and soon were passing by buildings within the city.

To call it a city would be a long shot, though. It was small, like everything within Noborou's kingdom. It wasn't lacking in wealth, though- in a land as small as this, all the merchants and other wealthier people gathered in this one place.

The palace was in the center of the town. Again, it was honestly too small to be called a palace. Yukine had seen houses of samurai, magistrates and merchants that were bigger than the house of this lord. Not that it was a bad house, of course- it was a square-shaped building, with well-kept gardens on the outside and the inner courtyard, and walls surrounding it.

Shinko made a beeline straight for the castle, but not before being stopped by all sorts of people.

"Ah, Lady Shinko! Welcome back!" "Good to have you back!" "How was your trip?" "We can't wait to hear the details!" "I hope you got those bandits!" "You look tired, Lady Shinko. Care for something for you and your companions to eat or drink?"

She was a popular figure in town. This was to be expected, though, what with her amiable personality. Female samurai also weren't a common sight and were often favorites in the lands they served.

The Flyon smiled at each and every one of the townsfolk, politely declining their offers to relax or eat and drink. She grinned warmly and took the time to say a few words to everyone.

At long last, they reached the gates. Yukine and Shou both noticed the inferiority of them as compared to their previous lords'. The two samurai on guard duty greeted Shinko and her group cordially. They wore basic guard uniforms in the same colors as Shinko wore. They must have been friends, all serving the same lord in a small community as this one.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," said Shinko to them. "I need to see Lord Noborou quickly."

They nodded, understanding, and opened the gates for them. Shinko strode in, motioning for her companions to follow her. She had assumed a different demeanor here in the city, where she was calm and friendly to everyone, but responsible, mature, authoritative almost. The other samurai seemed to respect her. While she lacked experience everywhere else (as Yukine had seen firsthand), here, in her home, she was in her element.

"My lord should be in the meeting room," she said, navigating the group through hallways, past servants and guards, knowing where to go without looking in any doors.

"Shinko!"

The call echoed down the hall, and Shinko and her friends turned around to see a young guard running up to them. Shinko's eyes brightened. "Yusuke!"

She jumped over and hugged him, and his face went red. His hands flopped around uselessly in the air as if he wasn't sure how to hug exactly.

She let go and stood in before him, beaming. "Guys, this is my best friend Yusuke," she told Yukine, Shou, and Krassus, gesturing in Yusuke's direction. "And this is Yuki, Shou, Krassus," she said, pointing to each one in turn. Yukine did a little two-finger salute in greeting, Shou smiled, and Krassus waved brightly.

"Well, it's, uh, good to see you again," Yusuke said awkwardly to Shinko. He cleared his throat and became more businesslike. "I'm sure our lord would like to see you now. Forgive my intrusion." He bowed.

"Oh, stop it," Shinko giggled and waved her hand dismissively, before loudly whispering back at Yukine, Shou, and Krassus with her hand blocking her mouth, "He tries so hard to be a cool samurai. It's cute, really."

Yusuke reddened again, but acted as if he hadn't heard. "Well, I will, ah, leave you to your duties. Later, then." He bowed again.

Shinko laughed again. "Okay," she said. "Talk to you later." She turned, then stopped and looked back. "Oh, wait a minute. I need to talk to you about something important, anyway. Why don't you just come with?"

He nodded. "Of course, Lady Shinko."

She rolled her eyes visibly, not bothering to correct him, and he stiffened for a second before falling in with the other guys in the hall as Shinko led them on towards the lord.

Yukine looked at Yusuke out of the corner of his eye. The young guard was tall and well built, with broad shoulders and a strong jaw. He walked with confident, precise posture.

His hair was short and honey brown, and in a slicked-back side part. He had eyes the color of pears with a few light freckles under them and the type of eyebrows that always make a person look serious. Yukine felt sorry for Yusuke but happy for Shinko that they were friends.

"Aha!" exclaimed Shinko. "We're here!" She pointed to a large wooden set of double doors, an odd sight in a traditional building such as this. Yukine raised his eyebrows; they were ornate and obviously made by a master woodcarver.

Without ceremony, Shinko thrust the doors open and strode in. Yusuke winced at the lack of respect, but followed with the rest.

They were inside a small hall. A man was sitting in the back by himself, writing something with a large brush dipped in ink the color of raven wings. This must be Lord Noborou.

He turned to them, a short, squat man in light yellow samurai armor, more for display than for battle. He was rather portly and had a shiny bald head resembling a round egg. His squinty eyes looked at them questioningly. "Yes?"

"It's me, my lord!" the Flygon girl said joyfully. "Shinko's back, and she's taken care of the bandits." She nodded vigorously. "Problem solved!"

The lord, who Yukine now thought resembled a squatter, wrinklier Buddha, stood up, spreading his arms wide and beaming. "Ah, Shinko!" He gave her a big hug; she looked surprised. "Well," he said, hands on her shoulders like an old friend seeing another for the first time in a thousand years. "You'll have to tell me all about it, won't you? Mind if I finish filling this out first?" He jerked his head towards the low table in the back, where he'd been writing before. He was still smiling.

"Sure, sure," said Shinko. "Besides, I've got to get these ronin the payment I promised them. I'll be back in a sec."

"Alright!" he said, smiling wider. "Give them a little extra anyway."

She strode out the open door and her little entourage followed, close on her heels.

She walked a bit, and then stopped. "That was strange," she said. "This was a very pressing matter and he's just blowing it off like that?" she turned to Yusuke. "Is the lord sick or something? He's acting unusual."

Her fellow samurai of Noborou shook his head. "Not that I know of, Lady Shinko." He put a hand up to his chin. "But since yesterday, he hasn't been his normal self really."

"Something's wrong," Shinko gritted her teeth. "Something strange is going on." She turned swiftly, braids flying, and headed back the way she came at a fast pace.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Yusuke asked. "You can't just disturb the lord when he doesn't want to be disturbed, even if you are his favorite samurai!"

"Pfft," said Shinko. "I wasn't even planning on remaining a samurai here after I got Yukine and Shou their payments, let alone his favorite."

It was so sudden that Yusuke stopped. "Wha- huh- haa?" he sputtered. "But… but…" She had shattered his formal, noble samurai façade in just one sentence.

She caught Yukine's eyes and gave him a meaningful look, then rushed on, followed by her companions, Yusuke lagging in the back.

The girl in green skidded to a halt before her lord's open doorway. He looked up. "Oh, you're back?"

"I am," she said, slowly walking into the room. "But you aren't. Where's the real Noborou?"

"What? I'm sorry, I think you're confused. I'm Lord Noborou; just what are you trying to say?"

"No, no you're not," Shinko shook her head like an upset child. "I know it. The lord I know would never be happy to see me. He doesn't love me. The lord I know would need to know about the mission I'd been sent on right away. He would recognize me when I came in the door. The lord I know would be mad that I offered these ronin his money without asking him. He'd force me to pay them myself, or do something for him. The lord I know doesn't nice like fresh mint," she paused, trembling a bit. "And he would never, EVER hug me."

Yusuke looked at her, concerned. "Shinko…" But his head whipped around, just like everyone else's, when Noborou started laughing.

It started out as a small spasm of giggles, but soon turned into a full-blown cackle. The old bald man held his hand up to his face; his body language resembled a girl trying to act cute. Black eyes glinted over the hand with merriment.

Shinko was right; this wasn't Noborou. Because the voice coming out of his body was far too high to belong to him.

"Oh, you got me," said the thing that was Noborou, in the voice of a prepubescent girl. "And here I thought my charade could go on awhile longer. Oh well, there's always Plan C." S/he burst out laughing again.

Everyone was aghast. Wide eyes, jaws slack. Surprisingly, Yusuke was the first to come to his senses. "I-is this a possession? Shall I get the priest?"

"No," Shou said grimly. "It's much worse."

The poor guard turned white as the ghost he thought was possessing Noborou.

"You know," it said, standing up. But it didn't stand up like a normal person. The figure was bent in all the wrong angles, neck tilted back, spine and arms bent in at least three places each. The eyes were gaping black pits, sparkling with dark joy. And the mouth- the mouth was stretched out in a ghoulish smile far too big to fit on any human face. "He was fun to kill. So easy. All I had to do was waltz into his bedroom," the girl's voice came out even though the mouth didn't open- the smile just got bigger, seeming to wrap around the face like some sort of demonic Cheshire Cat. It began to imitate Noborou's voice in a high-pitched nasally sound that was nothing like his real voice at all. "'Aww,' he said to me. 'You're so cute,' with those big eyes full of lust. 'Are you lost? I'll help you find your parents.'"

The writhing being collapsed again, devolving into giggles. The arms wrapped around the body three times each as if they were trying to hold the stomach in laughter but had become to elongated. The had rolled back on a neck that seemed to have lost all bones, the clownish face still plastered on it like a twisted child's drawing.

Then suddenly, all seriousness again. "That man was so desperate," she said, in his voice, almost pleading. "He just wanted love, that's all." Then it was her again. "The disgusting old pedophile. I'm glad I killed him. Good riddance. All I had to do was slip into his bed as he put me there, the child's body he longed for so much, mmmmmmmm…" Him again- making that disquieting sound that was so easy to imagine coming out of the real Noborou's mouth, eyes wide and full of a dark lust, mouth a long thin smile, looking at the small innocent girl…

No, she wasn't inoccent: "Then I stuck that knife right in his big, round, saggy gut!" She squealed loudly then came the cackling all over again. The body rolled across the ground as if in intense personal pleasure. "It felt so good, you know? Like cutting open a big juicy fruit. Actually, I probably should have aimed higher," the voice turned thoughtful. "It was hard to work the knife up to his heart. And hard to pull it out, too- all that fat. But he suffered soooooo much. It was glorious."

Noborou's neck stretched up much longer than it should have been able to, and showed his face again. His real face, not the nightmare clown one. It was a face of pure horror- the face he had when the little girl fatally stabbed him in his own bed. Then blood dripped out of his eyes, nose, and mouth as his face melted then erupted into a set of flower petals, which parted to reveal bloodred eyes and the huge grin, now with fangs.

The face looked surprised as it was suddenly rocked back and forth with a small orb of electricity. "Owwie!"

Shinko whipped around to see Krassus standing next to her, one hand one his necklace, the other out in front of him, still sparking from the attack. "Okay," he said calmly. "Now, you're gonna tell me who you really are, and what you did with Lord Noborou."

The group was snapped out of the paralyzing fear of that strange, smiling beast in front of them. They turned serious in the time it took the demonic bobbing head to right itself. Shinko and Shou drew their spears; Krassus and Yukine drew their swords. Each pulsed with telltale signs of their respective powers, and their eyes glowed ferally as well, like the beasts they were inside- red, gray-hazel, light brown, pale blue.

Yusuke backed up in fear and confusion of the beings in front of him.

What used to be Noborou's head, now a grotesque replica, sighed. The fanged smile turned upside down, and in a flash the head shot back down into the writhing body. The other overly long appendages thrashed around like dying fish until they found themselves pulled into the body, now a roiling mass of flesh.

The fat rippled, the skin bubbled, and then the large fleshy orb shrunk into the figure of a much smaller person, who was curled up in the fetal position.

The girl stood up. She looked older than she sounded, probably fifteen or so. Short wavy pink hair in a bob, laughing pink eyes, short pink tunic with undershorts, pink sandals. Pink, pink, pink.

She bowed, smirking. "Who am I? You may call me Leiko. I assassinated Lord Noborou two nights ago and took his place. But you already figured that out, didn't you?"

"Who sent you? What was your plan?" Shinko let loose with questions, rapid-fire.

The girl in pink ignored the attempted interrogation. "You figured me out, I'll give you that. But you'll never know anything else." She looked witheringly at the group and snapped her fingers. A purplish light shone behind her, and suddenly a ninja was kneeling there. "Venos, darling, I think it's about time we made our escape."

The ninja, Venos, was wearing typical black ninja gear. His eyes, covered with a red fabric, were angled just so he could see up Leiko's skirt. She didn't seem to mind. "Just give me the word, and we'll be anywhere you want," he said, almost flirtatiously.

"Mmm," Leiko was agreeing when suddenly something astounding happened. It was all very fast and unpredicted. The same violet light that had brought Venos to Leiko suddenly flashed in the doorway behind Shinko's group, at a much higher magnitude. It spawned a squadron of samurai with green-haired woman and man who looked like twins.

The woman raised her arm as if to say, "attack," with a slightly gloating smile and narrowed eyes.

Leiko's eyes widened as she mouthed an expletive and the sudden samurai dashed towards her- two in front of the rest by far. One of them was the green-haired man, and the other was a man with a black ponytail who looked oddly familiar to Yukine. Both were next to Leiko and Venos within seconds, swinging one katana each at the duo. But they only swung at air. Venos had grabbed Leiko at the last second and vanished in the purple light, leaving only a few pieces of Leiko's hair and a few drops of blood that fell to the floor from where the two katana had made contact.

The remains each morphed into a pink goo that dissolved into the wood floor, leaving a dark stain. Housekeepers would never be able to remove it, however hard they tried, in years to come.

It was all over in a few seconds. Shinko, Yukine, Shou, Krassus, and Yusuke were left gaping once again. The green samurai sheathed his blade with a militaristic elegance, with a slight flash of violet energy. The other man did as well, but not nearly as refined and disciplined.

"Ah, well," said the woman who seemed to be in charge of this new group, with a smile. "We almost had her. But in the end, we still won, didn't we? We stopped their plan." She had an almost dreamlike quality to her- she was pale and wore a flowing white kimono of amazing elegance and beauty, like some sort of moon goddess in a masterwork robe. "We have you to thank for that, don't we?" She turned her attention to the group.

"H-huh?" Shinko said dumbly, still not quite grasping the situation.

The woman clasped her hands together as if overjoyed to explain. "Haru sensed a great surge of power here, at least five Pokemon activating powers. So we skimmed the brains of the people in the area, determined the situation, mobilized a few samurai, and Teleported in to join the party." She walked over to the table where Leiko/Noborou had been writing. Well, walking may have been an incorrect term. More like gliding, floating, like some type of fairy queen. Her light green hair that curled at the ends bounced as she moved, just above her shoulders, and a pink pendant in a half heart shape jostled around on her chest. She picked up the paper. "As expected, a letter from Lord Noborou to Lady Yami giving his lands to her in order to obtain higher protection. Official and everything; written by Lord Noborou himself with the seal and all. She's the one who sent this assassin."

"S-so she's the not one who sent the bandits after all?" Shinko wanted to know. She motioned for Krassus who handed the documents he'd brought to the fey woman. She perused them quickly.

"This would've been the first plan," she said, businesslike. "Beat the poor tiny kingdom up with bandit attacks, then swoop in and save them with her own army, joining his kingdom to hers in protection. Just in case Lord Noborou resisted, they had him killed and replaced. The replacement could send this letter if the first plan failed. And I'm assuming if the replacement was discovered, there wouldn't be any discoverable ties with Lady Yami, and the kingdom would be left lordless- perfect state for its benevolent neighbor to swoop in and maintain control."

"Woah," said Shinko. "That's so much bigger than I thought. What's going on? Why does she want to do this? I don't understand anything anymore."

Before the woman in white could respond, Yukine said, "No. First of all, explain yourself. Who are you, how'd you get here, why'd you come here, what is going on exactly?"

Again she was unable to speak as this time Krassus, who'd been dumbfounded the longest, spoke up. "You don't know? That's Lady Sonohara, and her twin brother, Lord Sonohara. The Sonoharas. Of the Sonohara kingdom." He waved his hands dramatically, eyes still wide. "Get it?"

"That's right!" said the Lady, as if meeting the two most influential lords in the land was something that happened every day. "I'm Sorai Sonohara, and that's my brother Tai. Hello!" The swordsman nodded in their direction coolly. "But I think all of us can continue this enlightening chat over tea in our garden. I could use a nice relaxing drink. Tai, dear, take Goudo and start working out the situation with the people of the land. Their lord is dead, without an heir, and we need to find his will and divide the land up fairly. I'll pop back in a bit with some peace operatives to actually do the work. Can you just, you know, get things started?"

Tai nodded seriously, arms crossed. He turned on his heel and walked off, followed by the other skilled samurai in black, Goudo.

Shinko couldn't help but notice Goudo's toned and abs, shown with his open haori. His black ponytail bounced as he strode with an aggressive pace; the ends of his hair were gold.

"Come, now," said Sorai, waving her hands. "I don't have time to waste." Suddenly all the samurai grabbed onto each other, as well as Shinko, Krassus, Yusuke, and the ronin; they didn't have time to react before Lady Sonohara vanished in the purple aurora- bringing everyone else, holding one another, with her.

* * *

><p>Nobody noticed the shadowy figure hiding on the roof, peaking in on the ordeal with a small hole he'd made.<p>

Nobody noticed him jump down, muttering about how "Someone else had gotten to the mark first" and that "I'd still better get paid for this."

Actually, someone almost noticed him. A patrolling guard was nearing the man's position in his routine sweep of the lord's gardens.

Nobody noticed how, hardly without thinking, the man was engulfed in black and red smoke for a second, and emerged as a completely different person. He traded his all-black outfit for the red and green of Noborou's samurai.

The patrolling guard nodded as Yusuke passed, and Yusuke smiled and waved back.

Nobody noticed Yusuke's eyes flash red.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok so a lotta stuff happened! Wow! I write too much like that whole part where they visit the peasants' house wasn't even planned. And I tried to write Yukine and Shinko fluff! It was terrible don't expect any more.<strong>

**Stuff will get explained a lot more in the next chapter, don't worry, and the OCs that were semi-introduced at the end will get a proper introduction. But the other OCs that appeared in this chapter were:  
><strong>

**The late Noborou was my own OC, as well as the wonderful Leiko (we'll be seeing more of her!)- and she's a Ditto. Yusuke's mine, too- he's another thing that wasn't planned; I just felt like we need a human amidst all these Pokemon. I feel like he's too similar to Yukine though, especially they're names (but I like the name Yusuke!) but I guess we'll see. The random peasants were mine too, obviously.**

**Venos (Venomoth) is from reven228. I like Venomoths**

**Ok, until next time!**


End file.
